A Longtime Romance
by Rosie O'Reilly
Summary: Spot's life with his girl, Trousers, is very... hectic to say the least. When Cheat and his gang come to take over, things get even crazier. OC's.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclamer: I DO NOT OWN NEWSIES**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**Trousers' POV**

I pulled on my pants, socks and boots, buttoned up my shirt, and fastened on my suspenders. After I put on my cap and fixed my hair around it, I slid down the banister and ran out the front door into Spots waiting arms. Oh, boy, those arms. They were strong, rough and protecting all at once. Just like the man they belonged to.

"Heya Spot!" I grinned. He chuckled.

"Hey Trousahs," He said gently. "How ahe ya dis mornin'?"

"Just chippah!" I shouted as I grabbed his hand and started running towards Brooklyn's paper distributing center. "Wese gotta get dere first so dats wese can find da best sellin' spot afore dey're all taken!"

"Trousahs! Hold it Trous! Hold on a minute wouldja? It ain't dat big of a deal! I mean it is, but wese both been doin' dis fah yeahs, so no one's gonna take our spot." I just laughed and kept on running. I did this almost every morning, and Spot still hadn't caught on. I just liked spending time with him alone, before the distribution center opens, the streets become busy and the boys start bugging me with their testosterone filled antics. He's a knuckle head and just not one of the snappiest headlines in the pape. I slowed down as we neared my favorite bench; the one with the engraving on it that was dedicated to some couple a long time ago. You can barely even read the markings anymore it's been here for so long. I plopped down on the empty bench and Spot soon followed suit. I sighed in contentment and leaned my head on his shoulder, thinking about things and just enjoying his company.

Somebody was calling my name. I shook my head snapping out of my trance, in the process smacking my head on the back of the bench.

"Huh, what's a mattah?" I asked hurriedly, holding the back of my head.

"It's time tah gets da papes foah da morning'." Spot said, smirking to himself as he kissed the place which I had just injured. I groaned inwardly. Another day of selling papes and for what; so we could just struggle to meet every need for all the newsies in Brooklyn Heights? Still, I couldn't complain. At least I had a roof over my head, food in my belly—however little—and meager amounts of money coming in.

"Alright," I said, grinning and bearing it like I did every day. "Let's go." Spot deftly swept my hand up in his as we skipped the short distance to get the papes.

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><p>"Extry, extry! Fiah boins down pahta 'Hattan!" We shouted all over the streets, hoping people would be interested enough to buy our papes considering nothing good was happening right now. As soon as the last of the papes were sold, we headed back to Poplar Street and gathered in the living room type area to just hang out before it was time to go to Irving Hall and see Medda again. I tuned back into the conversation, just in time for Sprite to finish his epic conclusion.<p>

"An' dat was when I saw 'er; da most beautiful goil in all a Brooklyn—nah, in all a New Yawk!"

"Who was it? Aw, ya gotta tell us Sprite! It ain't fair if ya don't!" A chorus of newsies beseeched the captivating story teller.

"Hold ya horses! I was gettin' dere!"

"What ahe we talkin' 'bout?" I chimed in. Everyone groaned.

"Not again, Trous! Youse is always doin' dis! When ahe ya just gonna leahn youse gotta listen to heah da whole story?" piped in eight year old Bouncer.

"Ise sorry!" I said, "Youse all should know how I is by now! Can't tune in fah a full convahsation!"

Spot strolled in from the tiny kitchen we had, carrying a glass of cold water from the hand-pump. "Oh, wese know by now." He said nonchalantly sitting next to me and propping his feet up on my legs. "An' dis is why I shouldn'ta named ya Trousahs. Maybe Ise should a named ya somet'in' else like… Snoozah or Miss 'Easily Distracted'!" I shoved his legs off me and because of the unbalanced nature he was sitting, he fell right off the couch. "Hey! Youse is gonna pay fah dat!" He yelled scowling at me. "I might just totally change youah name tah somethin' like Tempah!"

"I actually like dat name, so's if youse wanna change it tah dat, den be my guest!" I yelled at him jokingly, sounding mad and fooling all the other newsies. Spot shot me a knowing glance, a mischievous glint in his eye and I smirked back at him.

"Why do youse gotta be so dahn stupid an' stubbuhn sometimes Trousahs? I don't get youse at all! Why ahe we even in dis mess?!" My gaze flitted to the watching boy's faces, filled with worry and unease, and I had to run out of the room to hide my laughter at the expressions they were wearing. I booked it up the stairs and into the room that Spot and I used as a personal lounge sometimes. Spot followed me up and the boys ran to the bottom of the stairs trying to stay quiet and not be seen at the same time, which was very hard for them.

"Spot Conlon! Why do youse have tah be so… so… infuriating?" I said, struggling to find a word that would hit him hard normally, but not now since he knew I was joking.

"Because Ise spends too much time around youse! Maybe Ise just needs tah stop bein' at youah side ev'ry minute a ev'ry single day!" We heard a collective gasp sound from downstairs, and fell into each other's arms in silent bouts of laughter.

"Dese boys are so gullible!" I whispered. He just nodded in agreement. I smacked his arm to make it sound like I had slapped his face. "Well then maybe Ise should just go tah 'Hattan! Dey'll at least appreciate me dere!" I said, sounding angry once more. We heard a thunderous roar and then a mess of boys collapsing into each other at the doorway. They weren't allowed to enter this room, but were surprised at the scene they found—Spot and Trousers, kissing, in the middle of the room.

"But—Ise thought—Huh?" shouted Slingshot in confusion. I kept hold of Spots collar, as I'd used it to pull myself to him, and smirked.

"Gotcha!" I said as I strutted passed them all and looked back to see Spots shocked face.

"What? Ain't it time tah get ready fah Medda's yet?" I asked innocently and went to go change into the most presentable dress I owned.

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><p><strong>Spots POV<strong>

Whoa. She still managed to surprise me and make life interesting with the crazy little adventures she dragged me into_. Well, bettah go clean up and get ready fah Medda's like Trousahs said_, I thought. I went into the washroom for the boys, and scrubbed my face, hair, hands and arms of the filth of the day, then proceeded to the trunk at the foot of my bed, grabbed the cleanest pair of black corduroy pants I had (for special occasions only), my nicest plaid shirt, and my least beat up hat. On second thought, scratch the hat. I switched my clothes out for the ones I had just laid on the bed and snapped my red suspenders back into place, along with my famous cane and slingshot. I glanced in the mirror. Final decision; I was going with the hat since I hated my appearance without it. Now, I was ready to go.

"Trousahs… Oh, Trous," I said, knocking softly on the door of the washroom she was using. "It's time tah go ta Irvin' Hall now! Ready? All a da boys ahe waitin' downstaihs fah us."

"Yeah, I'll, uh, just be right down. Almost ready." She replied. I turned on my heel and strode downstairs to find all me boys lined up and waiting to be inspected.

"She'll be down in a minute, boys. I bet she looks great." At this comment, I got an eye roll from the group. I turned to sit down on the bottom stair. A few minutes later, I heard tiny footsteps at the landing. I whirled around and looked at the beauty in front of me. "Whoa." I said. She was far too pretty for her own good. But she was all mine. On her feet were dainty white shoes, God knows how she kept those clean. She was clad in a mint green dress that showed off her figure perfectly and didn't show too much at the top. Her red hair was pulled over to one side and fastened there, cascading down one shoulder in excellently placed ringlets. I smiled up at her. "Youse look amazin'!" I said as she blushed the nicest shade of pink. Her eyes were beautiful. Her lashes were darkened, and she had some sort of shading on her eyelids, accentuating her lovely green eyes.

"Youse say dat ev'ry time we go tah Medda's."

I offered her my arm. "Shall wese?"

"Wese shall!" She exclaimed timidly, which was reasonable considering literally all eyes were on her.

"Lead da way boys!" I said proudly. Trous chuckled. "What? Ise can't be proud of me poifect goil?"

"No, ya can, but it ain't dat." She said sounding more like the Trousers I knew. "It's just… you an' dose red suspendahs! Youse ahe always weahin' dem!" She slipped her finger under one and snapped it against my chest, then bolted away from me. "Whoa, whoa, slow down Trous! Whats da hurry?" I caught up to her easily, wrapped her in my arms and pinned her to me.

"Wheah ya goin'? Youse ain't gettin' away wid dat! Ya think ya can just run away from me like dat? Huh? Huh?" I dropped my hands to her ribs and tickled her relentlessly. She wriggled and shrieked in my arms.

"Ah! Sp—Spot! I c-can't breathe! Pl—ease! Just lemme go!" She continued her shrieking until I finally released her from my grasp.

We continued walking all the way to Manhattan, and the streets were wet from the rainstorm we'd had when Sprite was telling us is story. He never did finish that one. Another one about "da prettiest goil in awl a New Yawk!" He's always got a story about "da prettiest goil in awl a New Yawk!" and it was always a different girl. We all knew how this was going to end, except for Trousers, because her head was always up in the clouds when Sprite told his stories.

"Hold still Trous! Youse is gonna get youse dress awl doity if Ise don't carry youse!" I said as she was twisting around attempting to loosen herself from my arms once again. I had picked her up bridal stlye some time ago, to prevent the hem of her dress from getting tattered and muddy. It was likely to happen with the cobblestones and the muck that persistently coated them.

"But Ise don't wanna be carried. I wanna be put down! Ise can walk on me own. Put me down!" She wouldn't calm down, so I ended up slinging her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Hey! Michael 'Spot' Conlon! Ise serious! Youse… youse put me down dis instance or… or…" she said, fumbling for a legitimate threat. New clothes, same ole Trousers. That wasn't a surprise. I don't think anyone will ever see this girl change.

"Or what? Youse won't talk tah me fah a week? Youse won't last a day. Youse won't make da beds? Wese can go widdout da beds being made."

"Or Ise won't kiss ya fah two whole weeks!" I tensed a little.

"Youse still couldn't last." If it was one thing she was known for, it was her temper. That and the fact that she always made bets or bargains she couldn't- or didn't have the willpower- to keep.

"What is it wid you thinkin' Ise won't last wid anythin'?"

"'Cause I know youse, Trous."

"Youse wanna bet how long Ise can or can't last? Fine. How much? We'll shake on it." I put her down as we arrived. As I presumed we weren't late. No one started nothin' without Spot Conlon. A new voice entered the conversation.

"Bet on what?"

"How long she can go widdout smoochin' me!" I said without thinking about who I was talking to. Race turned on his heel and sprinted back into the Hall.

"Hey ev'ry one! Spot an' Trousahs are makin' a bet on how long Trous can go widdout canoodlin' wid Spot! Who wants tah bet on it?" He asked everyone within hearing distance.

"Race," she screamed from behind me. "Youse bettah get youse butt back heah right now! Racetrack!" She screeched again and scampered off after him. I rolled my eyes and smiled, continuing to Jack's table.

"Heya Jacky-boy. Wha's da haps?" I asked, my eyes following Trousers and Race around the floor.

"Well, as youse all prolly knows from da papes, pahta 'Hattan boined down. Luckily it wasn't nuttin' close tah us, or even important."

"Yeah, yeah, wese all knows about dat. 'Course we was hawkin' it at da tops a ouah lungs earlier. Don't think a one a us could've fahgotten." We both chuckled at that and burst into laughter as we watched Trousers pin Race to the ground and tell him to announce to everybody the bet was off. You could hear her squawking all the way over here, even across the large distance between our table and them. Race looked terrified. A lot of the newsies looked over at the scene she was creating, and were holding their sides from laughing so hard. Trousers joined us with a smug look on her face. Race walked over here a few minutes later, disgraced because he'd been beat by a girl.

"Heya Trous!" Kid Blink yelled from his spot hanging from the banister of the balcony. I rolled my eyes. Blink was always trying to impress one girl or another; just not mine. Everybody had learned not to try to impress my girl. He was just saying "hi" to her, and then his gaze shifted to another less than pretty girl over on the other side of the stage. "Heya Connie!" He yelled this time at Connie of Coney Island. Coincidental? I don't know. She glanced over at Blink and rolled her eyes.

"Get down from dere Blink!" she hollered at him. "Ya gonna hoit youse-self real bad if ya end up fallin'!"

"Hey! Spot! Jack! She knows me name!" He scrambled down from the banister quickly and ran over to us, laughing hysterically the whole way. "She knows me name! She knows me-!" He shouted all over the theatre at any newsie who would listen. After the lights dimmed down and the show was about to begin, Blink climbed back up to his place hanging off the balcony and flashed googly eyes at Connie, who kept glancing sheepishly up at him and looking back at the stage real quickly when he caught her looking.

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><p><strong>Trousers' POV<strong>

"Bet on what?" Someone asked from behind me.

"How long she can go widdout smoochin' me!" Spot said carelessly. Racetrack turned on his heel and sprinted back into the Hall. I gave Spot my death glare.

"Hey ev'ry one! Spot an' Trousahs are makin' a bet on how long Trous can go widdout canoodlin' wid Spot! Who wants tah bet on it?" He asked everyone within hearing distance.

"Race," I screamed. "Youse bettah get ya butt back heah right now! Racetrack!" I shot off after him. I caught up to him fairly quickly even in a cumbersome dress and stiff shoes. In Brooklyn, you had to be a considerably fast runner, because the danger there was worse than it is in Manhattan. You learned to run quickly no matter what you were wearing. I'd gladly take the Delancey Brothers any day than face some of the trouble in Brooklyn. "Anthony Racetrack Higgins. Youse go tell every single poison the bet nevah happened!" I said pinning him to the ground and sitting on top of him in a most unlady-like fashion. If I was in my regular clothes it would be different but… "Dat bet nevah even technically happened considering Spot and Ise nevah shook on it!" I continued yelling at him in too loud a voice until he gave up.

"Alright, alright, Ise surrendah! Youse win. Ise gonna go tell ev'ry single poison in heah dat dis bet nevah happened! And Ise promise dat I won't tells no one 'bout any bets youse and Spot make 'till youse tell me dey're official!" Ha! I walked over to Spot and Jack haughtily. Race walked over a few minutes later.

"It's a done deal. All bets ahe off. It's like it nevah even happened." He mumbled glumly.

"Thank youse. Now Ise hope ya loined a lesson heah, Race." I said rather smugly.

"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled quietly. I smiled victoriously.

"Heya Trous!" Kid Blink yelled from his spot hanging from the banister of the balcony. I laughed and rolled my eyes at his escapade.

"Hey Blink! What's up?" I shouted, giving him a little wave. I noticed his eyes kept flicking to a plain looking girl on the other side of the theater and smiled to myself. It was Connie from Coney Island—a longtime friend of mine.

"Get down from dere Blink!" she hollered at him. "Ya gonna hoit youse-self real bad if ya end up fallin'!"

"Hey! Spot! Jack! She knows me name!" He scrambled down from the banister quickly and ran over to us, laughing hysterically the whole way. "She knows me name! She knows me-!" He shouted all over the theatre at any newsie who would listen. After the lights dimmed down and the show was about to begin, Blink climbed back up to his place hanging off the balcony and began flashing googly eyes at Connie, who kept glancing sheepishly up at him and looking back at the stage real quickly when he caught her looking. I leaned over to Spot and Jack and whispered: "Finally! Blink's got his self a soon tah be goil."

"Youse got dat right! She's all he evah talks about anymoah!" Jack replied.

"Yeah now if only wese could find somebody fah Skits." Spot commented.

"No kiddin'. Den maybe he'd come outta his "Mistah Bad Mood Attitude" take on life all da time!" We all laughed silently. Medda came onstage and started singing. I almost fell asleep on Spots shoulder until it was time to start dancing and some upbeat, fast tempo music started playing.

"Hey. Hey Trous, wake up. Time tah dance!" Spot shouted in my ear. He laughed like a little girl as he spun and swung me across the room, in between all the other couples who were dancing. I danced with Jack a couple of times, as well as Skittery, Mush and Race. Dancing with Skittery was… amusing to say the least. He was complaining about everything, and I mean everything. How white my shoes were, how red my hair was, how the spinning was making him dizzy, how nice I looked in my dress… Wait, did Skittery just say that? I mean, the Skittery, who is always in a bad mood? That's rare for him. Mush was happy per usual and going a hundred miles an hour about things I wasn't even focused on.

"Heya Race! Still mad youse lost dat bet?"

"What bet? I don't recall no bets evah happenin'." He told me, still sounding slightly angry.

"Atta boy Race! Thank youse!" I shouted as he spun me off to some other dancing partner. By the end of the night, my feet were so tired that I had to be carried all the way back to Brooklyn—my idea this time—by different newsboys, including Bouncer, at which I was surprised he could support me. Spot was the last one carrying me, and he climbed the steps and set me on the couch in our lounge. I woke up a little at the sudden lack of movement, my arms still locked around Spot's neck. "Spot?" I asked very quietly.

"Yeah doll face?" His accent still made me get butterflies in my stomach even after all these years.

"Why'd ya let Bouncah carry me?"

He chuckled lightly. "Only youse Trous. Only youse. G'night doll face." He said, gently planting a kiss on my forehead and exiting.

That night, I dreamt of meeting the one and only Spot Conlon for the first time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_It was a rainy day, and what was left of our family walked down the gangplank of the ship we had voyaged across the Atlantic in. I had turned four a few days after we had set sail. We were jostled along with the crowd to the health check points we had to get through to be able to enter from Castle Garden to the heart of New York its self. We all passed with flying colors. We were assigned a tenement in Brooklyn along with one of the families my father knew from Ireland. They were a nice family with six children, all of whom I got along with fairly well. I was running around in the streets with my brother and the children of the Finnegan family, whom I also considered my brothers, when I tripped and fell over something—or rather someone. He was a small boy, maybe a couple of years older than me, with brown hair and red suspenders on. His eyes were the loveliest shade of blue._

_ "Hey! Whaddya think youse is doin'? Ise was sleepin' dere!" I stood rooted to the spot I was in, looking down at this thin, spirited boy._

_ "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just playing tag with my brothers over-" I trailed off as I noticed I was now the only child from my group left on the street. "Well, my brothers, who apparently disappeared." I finished._

_ "Well next' time, watch wheah youse is goin'! Name's Michael. Michael Conlon. But most people call me Spots." He spit in his hand and stuck it out. I looked at in disgust and shook his fingers warily._

_ "Rosie. Rosie O' Reilly." We smiled at each other._

_ "Well, Rosie, do youse have room for one moah tah play wid yoah bruddahs who apparently 'disappeahed'."_

_ "I believe there should be. Keegan! Seamus! Cael! Emmett! Aiden! Where are you?" They all popped out of various hiding places, aware of the fact that if I yelled their names under normal circumstances it was time to go inside for supper or to finish chores for the day._

_ "Yes? Time to go in yet?" They asked in unison, like a rowdy bunch of brothers, which they practically were._

_ "No, I just wanted you to meet my new friend Michael. He's gonna play tag with us now!" A chorus of whoops and hollers were let out at this. 'Another friend to play with! The more the merrier!' They were thinking. "Michael, this is Seamus, Cael, Aiden, Emmett, and Keegan." I said pointing to each one respectively._

_ "Let's not play tag anymore!" shouted Aiden. "Let's play hide and seek!"_

_ "Yeah!" we all yelled joyously. This was our favorite game to play, especially since when we did, other children would join in and make the game bigger. You didn't know when the last person was found, because almost every kid in the neighborhood would end up playing._

_ "What's dat?" Michael asked. I just stared incredulously. My brothers all launched into simultaneous explanations, belting out instructions, none of which Michael could hear or understand._

_ "Just follow me. We can hide together." I said and he confusedly stared after me as I ran off into an abandoned alley way._

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I fell off the couch just then, and was awakened from my wondrous dream of remembrance. I picked myself up from the floor and went to go check on the boys. They were all still sound asleep in their beds. Of course, it was only about 5 in the morning, so I just let them be. They were a comical sight, with some of them half falling off their beds; others were twisted under the blankets until they looked like they had wrapped themselves up in cocoons. I changed into more appropriate clothing for the day, seeing as I was still in my dress from last night. Ah, there we go. Into my newsies clothes; so much bettah dan dat heavy thing. I then set about straightening up what I could around the floor, putting what belonged to the boys in their trunks, such as pants, shirts, suspenders and hats. If it was something such as shoes, it would go under the bed. Within a half hour the floor was clean and I looked back on my work in contentment. Now it was off to the market place to purchase food for breakfast. I pried open the floorboard in which I stashed my hard earned money. Five dollars ought to do it. I grabbed the basket off the floor near the door in the kitchen and set off out the front door. Women who were already up and about, opening their shops for the day looked at me in disgrace, most likely because I wasn't wearing the most respectable clothes for a lady."Mornin' ma'am." I'd say with a grin, not letting their judgmental stares get to me. Men on the other hand were just plain rude, especially boys my age who would get in my way or push me around. It was because of boys like these that I ended up in the wrong part of Brooklyn, towards Williamsburg. "Hiya toots." They'd call out and wolf whistle. I avoided eye contact with any of them while I tried to remember which way I came from so I could get out of there. I somehow ended up in a dead ended alley, cornered by three newsboys twice my size.

"Back off or Ise sweah Ise'll soak youse!"

"Ooh-hoo-hoo." One of them sneered. "Looks like we've got a feisty one on our hand dis mornin' boys!" He shouted as they leered at me. One of them grabbed the basket I was holding and flung it down just as the biggest one of them grabbed my arm.

"Let go or Ise sweah-"

"Or youse sweah wha—" I cut him off as I swung my fist back and sent it flying at his face, making him topple over and hit the ground hard. Didn't they know who I was? Basically Queen of Brooklyn, the girl of the most respected and famous newsie in all of New York, and probably everywhere else? People should have learned not to mess with me by now.

"Why you little—!" another of them shouted at me. He punched me in the stomach and I doubled over. Another one punched me in the face—that was going to leave a nice shiner. The third one kicked me in the shin and again in the gut, and then tried to grab me in both of his arms. I ducked and grabbed my basket. I couldn't leave all that food just lying there for the rats. I scrambled up off the ground and ran as fast as I could. Now this was a full on chase. I rounded corner after corner, barely glancing back over my shoulder to see if I was safe or not. Once, before I was safe, the one I escaped from grabbed my ankle as I flew past cart after cart in the market place. I hit the ground so hard that my jaw clashed with the cobblestones and made me see stars. Miraculously, I ended up back on my feet, where I kicked the man, who was still lying on the ground, in a hurtful place, which made him crumple up into a ball and cry like a baby. I picked up my feet and ran like the wind, back into the lodging house, where I collided with Blink, who was there for some reason, probably on a mission for Jack.

"Whoa dere Rosie, watch wheah youse goin'." He commented jokingly, using my real name—I had no clue anybody but Spot called me that anymore—until he saw my face. "Hey what happened tah youse? Ahe youse okay? Spot! Race! Guys come ovah heah! Rosie's hoit real bad!"

I rolled my eyes because I wasn't hurting all that bad. It was mainly my ribs from the fall I took. Spot and the others scrambled into the room, nearly colliding with each other as they stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of me.

"No, no, no, no, no! Trous! She cannot be hoit. Wese need her 'round heah!" Spot wailed as I collapsed and watched everyone gather around me. "Rosie!"

"Ise—fi…ne." I stuttered with much difficulty. Wow, I guess Ise hoit woise dan I thought.

"Look fellas! Dere's somethin' stuck heah!" Shouted Race in his heavily accented voice. He pulled it out and I felt a sharp pain stab at my side.

"What is it?" Jack asked incredulously.

"I—I dunno. It looks like a knife made outta a rock. Like it was meant tah hoit somebody."

"Well somebody call da doctah! Wese ain't gots all day tah stand around heah and debate about what's in her side! Flash! Get ya butt ovah heah now!" He said as my vision faded in and out. A ten year old boy appeared at the scene. "Ise need ya tah go an' look foah da closest doctah. Preferably doctah Cahhaht (Carheart)!" He sped off. The last thing I remember is everyone's worried faces staring down at me and Spots voice saying: "Rosie, don't leave. Ya can't leave me heah alone!"

"Don' worry Spot. Ise won' letcha down." I managed to get out as I saw him smile sadly at my words before everything went black.

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I kept fading in and out over the period of the next—however many days I was out for. During the periods in which I was not semi-conscious, my mind was thinking about the last few day I had with my family. All my mind would replay was the horrible fights I had with my mother in the final few days before the fire hit. There was much pushing and shoving—mostly on my part. I remember the hurtful words I'd said to her. I couldn't get them out of my head.

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_"Why won't you believe me?" I shouted at her. She was yelling at me for something I couldn't even remember. No response. "I swear it's not my fault!" I said in my Irish accent. She was now taking books of mine, for something I couldn't remember doing. It probably had something to do with the way I was acting right now. I lunged at her and tried to get whatever she had of mine out of her hands. I hit her uselessly, considering I was seven and didn't have any strength whatsoever, and she would shove me back. "Give it back!" I screamed._

_ "Not until you tell me you're sorry." I calmed down a bit. This had been going on for quite a while and I was getting tired of it, even though I didn't want to stop until I won. There goes my Irish temper again acting up. Scratch that, it was just me acting up. I felt terrible about the things I'd said to her and that I'd hit her, although I wasn't sorry for whatever it was we were fighting about._

_ "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I hurt you earlier. I didn't mean to."_

_ "Tell me that like you mean it, not just because you have to so you can get these back." She said._

_ "And people wonder why I never say sorry when I'm told to. It's because I know people won't believe me even if I truly am sorry." I mumbled under my breath. This fight was probably about some bad mark or another that I'd gotten in school (because it had just recently started again) and my momma had heard about it; probably from snarky little Rory (who had just recently started her first year of school). That little twit told momma everything! Why did she have to tattle on every little thing that I did? I just didn't get it._

_ "Go sit on your bed and don't talk. I have to make dinner." She commanded. I had been crying while all this was happening, so my eyes were stinging and red once I woke up for dinner._

_"Heya Papa." I said in my mix of Irish/New York accent I'd just started using. It got Spot to laugh almost every day that we hung out. Of course it wasn't really appropriate for me to be hanging out with Spot everyday now was it? But nothing was going to come of it. Right? Papa chuckled._

_ "Hi Rosie." He said as he took his turn eating. We had to either find some place to eat on the floor, somewhere around the apartment, or eat at the table in pairs. Tonight it was mine and Papas turn to eat together at the table. Our conversation was a nice touch to the day considering the fight momma and I had earlier. _

_ I was out playing with Spot and a couple of his friends. It was time for me to go home now as I had lessons to finish from school and chores to do before it got dark and was time for dinner. Spot and I were making pleasant conversation on the way back. We kept ignoring the curious and judgmental stares from people. Spot and I being friends wasn't scandalous just yet, as we had another good five years or so before I was of courting age; but I could understand, what with me in a nice dress (momma made me always wear a very nice school appropriate dress, as she was a seamstress) and Spot in his usual dingy attire of too small pants, loose shirts and red suspenders. Spot dropped me off, bid me adieu, and ran home to where ever it was he stayed. He wouldn't take my parents offer to stay here with us._

_ It was later on in the night and I had just finished the last of my lessons. Mrs. Finnegan was cooking dinner tonight, and I was tired so I took a little cat nap. I woke up to the sounds of screams and shouts—and lots of heat. I squinted through the haziness, coughing occasionally. My lips were chapped and my throat was screaming for water. I couldn't see any signs of life so I maneuvered my way through the small apartment, over half knitted piles of things and debris from daily life. A chunk of ceiling fell in front of me and I screamed, just narrowly avoiding it. I heard a cough come from somewhere near and ran to it. It was Papa._

_ "Papa! Where are the others? Do you need help? Come on let's get out of here." I told him urgently, dragging his arm across my shoulders and attempting to help him stand._

_ "No, Rosie, there's no time. I can't find the others, so you need to get out of here before it's too late. Thank God for keeping you safe while you slept. I love you sweet girl. Go live your life." I backed away from him, eyes brimming with water._

_ I shook my head. "No, papa. I'm not leaving you. Come with me." I said my hoarse voice cracking._

_ He coughed weakly. "No, Rosie, I'm sorry I can't come. You can't lift me and I'm too weak to walk by myself. Just go and try to get help." I ran out of the doorway just in time for it to collapse right behind me. I couldn't believe my papa was losing a chance at the rest of his life._

_ "PAPA!" I screamed. Now there was no way for any of them to get out. I had a sinking feeling that if help did come, people were still going to die. Namely, almost all of the people in this building. I didn't hesitate any longer, I turned and ran, tears streaming down my face the whole time. I got to the streets to find mass chaos. No one was paying me any attention. I whirled around, and watched helplessly as the building was engulfed even more, as the flames kept growing bigger. The dinging of fire truck bells sounded in the distance. It was too late. No one could do anything now except watch._

_"Momma!" I shouted. "Papa! Rory! Aiden! Find a way to get outta there before it—" I was cut off by a huge roaring noise as the fire swelled again. A face appeared at our window. It was momma. We made eye contact and she looked down at me in anguish. She knew what was coming. I looked away as I heard a deafening crashing sound. I crumpled to the ground in a heap of sobs, beating my fists into the cobblestones, aware of the scene I was making and that people were staring. "NO! No! No, no, no, no, no!" I shouted each time my fist hit the road. All those things I said. I never told her I was sorry this morning before I left. I never told her I loved her one last time. I never told any of them a million things I wanted to tell them. How mad I was at them for not getting out in time, how I wished I could see them again—I knew it was all over and that they were all gone. Forever. But why? Why did God have to do this to me? How could He have let this happen? My baby sister, the one who I'd always fight with, even though I loved her to death. Why did she have to be gone? My tears dripped to the ground, my hair stuck to my face as I was sweating from the heat of the fire. I probably looked like a mad woman. I didn't care. I screamed all of their names over and over. I cursed at them and wished them dead. Too late. I thought to myself. "No! Momma! Papa! WHY?" I shouted to the Heavens, "WHY DID YOU TAKE THEM? CAN'T YOU SEE I STILL NEED THEM?" I didn't understand._ I heard somebody calling my name softly and jerked back enough to see their face. Spot; all 17 years of him, not the 9 year old version I was used to back then.

* * *

><p><strong>Spot's POV<strong>

We somehow managed to move Trousers to her bed, under the careful eye of Dr. Carheart. She was a nice woman, and not the most trusted doctor around considering she was a girl doctor—and apparently they were no good. However, I trusted her, as I'd seen her treat many of my friends after they'd been soaked either by the Delancey's or someone from another borough in the state who thought they were tough enough to try to beat us.

"Will she be a'right, Doc? Wha's gonna happen? What' can Ise do tah help? Do youse need any help?"

"Mr. Conlon, would you please calm down. I cannot answer any of those questions at the present, and bugging me about Ms. O' Reilly will not help her case. Please leave me to my work." She said as she ushered me out of the room. No one was allowed in there except for her personnel or anyone she needed in there—which was not any of us. We needed news, and we were dying to get it. For once in my life, being a newsie did not come in handy when I needed this fresh bit of news. Doc Carheart came out a few hours later with dried blood on her front. She had obviously washed her hands clean before she came to tell us what we'd all been anticipating.

"I have some good news, and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" No response came from us. We honestly didn't care at this point, we were just glad for any tidbit of information. "Why don't I start with the bad news first, then? Now, this is some of the best bad news I've ever delivered before so… Due to the piece of rock Mr. Higgins so carelessly pulled out, she may not be able to sit, stand or eat in these next few days. Fluids she cannot live without, so when she wakes up make sure she drinks plenty of water. She may not be able to drink comfortably either. Some of this—discomfort she may have, the broken ribs can take the credit for. These take months to heal, so treat her with care. The good news. Well, her jaw is still fully intact, although she will have a black eye and bruises along her jawbone. She's responding well to the fluids we ran through her Intravenous fluid tube—this is a very new discovery, and we are thankful that it worked. I hope you will all treat her well, and that she gets plenty of sleep and rest. Now, I shall be going, I have another patient to attend to." She swept out of the room with her nurses following her. That was an earful, but it's good to know she should be alright. I practically ran to her side, as no one was denying me entrance anymore. She looked horrible. There was this weird tube-y thing attached to her arm somehow, and her face was all cut up. She had the makings of a shiner on her face. The blankets were askew, probably because Trousers had somehow managed to attempt to kick off the blankets, even with being injured. I kept constant vigil at her bedside. I had Sprite run errands for me, and Doubt became virtually my maid, as she was sent running back and forth between here and the kitchen with various tasks.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Castle Garden Immigration Depot was located on the edge of Manhattan. Congress closed it down in 1890 and supplied funding for the new immigration station, Ellis Island. During construction, the Barge Office in the Battery was used as a checkpoint for filtering immigrants.<strong>_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I was sleeping in the chair positioned next to her bedside, when I was awakened by shouts of "no's" and "why's". I studied Trousers face, and noticed she had tears leaving to identical trails along her cheeks. Why was she crying?

"Trous? Trousahs? Hey, Rosie what's wrong?" I asked her. She would toss and turn, laughing, crying or shouting. What was she laughing at and why were her emotions so different? It was like she was in her own little world—which I suppose she was. I repeated her name, over and over again, sometimes raising my voice a little. One time I got a different reaction. Her eyes lids fluttered. "Rosie?" I questioned. She moaned a little. "Trous, why is youse cryin'?" She sat up violently.

"Oh Spot! I keep seein' memories, just repeatin' ovah and ovah. Who started dat fiah, and why did it hafta take my fam'ly wid it?" Now I understood.

"Okay Trous, jus' lay back down now. Wese don' need youse hoitin' youse self even moah dan youse awready is." I gently eased her back onto her pillows. This girl was crazy. She was going to get herself killed one of these days. "I dunno who stahted dat fiah, but it could a jus' been an acciden'. I'm suah no one meant tah hoit nobody on poipose."

"Why though? Why couldn't God a chose a differen' fam'ly? Why did He hafta choose me? Ow. Why do Ise hoit all ovah? Whassa mattah wid me?"

"Trousahs- Rosie, do youse remebah anyt'ing? Anyt'ing 'bout why youse is hoitin' or why youse can' remebah dese pas' few days?"

"No… I just' remembah runnin' intah Blink and him callin' foah help 'cause I was hoit so bad." She got a confused look on her face then. "Wait, Ise do remembah a little bit. Ise was runnin' from some men 'cause dey was tryin' tah hoit me. Den one a dem jumped on me tah keep me from escapin' and Ise hoit my jaw and ribs real bad." She looked down at her stomach, which was wrapped in bandages. One of the nurses had tied one of her shirts up under her chest to avoid the bandages and still protect her innocence. She poked herself and winced. "Did I break a rib?" I nodded slowly.

"I believe youse did Trous. Da doc told us ya did anyway. Ise sorry."

"It's okay. I mean, it's not like deres anyt'ing anybody can do 'bout it. I'm suah I'll heal up just' fine." She smiled at me. Leave it to Trous to always be happy, even in a situation like this. "Uh… Spot? Ise gotta go… youse know. Like, Ise gotta _go_." My mouth formed an o.

"Uh, y'know, Ise don' know how tah handle dat pahticulah situation. Ise mean… Oh what da heck? Ise t'ink wese known each udda long enough as tah wheah Ise can help youse tah da bathroom. It can' be dat hahd can it?" I said, blushing slightly. Since when did the mighty Spot Conlon of Brooklyn help a girl to the bathroom? When did Spot Conlon help anybody except Cowboy? Well, I guess there's a first for everything, right? I walked closer to the bed and tenderly helped her up. She whimpered every now and again, but that didn't stop us. Finally, we managed to get her on her feet.

"Slowly, now, slowly, da doc said youse weren't supposed tah be outta bed foah anudda week or so." She was using my arms for support as she shuffled her feet forward. When she stepped on her left foot though, she crumpled to the side. Luckily, I caught her before she could hurt herself any further. "Oh, when I find out who did dis tah me dose scabbahs is soaked. No, deys bettah dan soaked, deys dead."

I rolled my eyes at this. _Yeah, suah talk tough while ya can Trousahs._ I chuckled.

"Sure dey is Trous. Youse keep t'inkin' dat."

"What? Youse don' t'ink Ise can soak 'em? Youse wanna bet?"

"Nah. Dat's Race's t'ing anyways. Wese gots tah getcha to da bathroom foist." We somehow ended up at the bathroom door. Don't know how, but we did. I helped her until she could stand on her own. "Okay, Trous. Dis is wheah Ise leave ya. Wese close, but not dat close." She laughed and clutched her side.

"Hey, don' make me laugh, it hoits. And get outta heah. Ise can handle da rest myself." She added blushing. I laughed.

"Ise know. And call me if youse need any help tah get back tah ya bed." I walked out and closed the door. I paced the room once or twice, got bored, sat down on the bed, sighed, got bored again, and resumed pacing. What was taking her so long? As I paced, I started humming to myself. It was the song we always sung at Medda's, the one about high times and hard times. Now, we were just waiting for high times again. I soon grew impatient, so I walked over to the door and knocked.

"Trous? Youse done in dere yet?"

"Go away! I'm taking a bath. I feel so gross."

"Trousahs, youse can't take a bath yet! Youse ain't gonna heal dat way!"

"Cool your horses Spotty-boy. Ise jus' takin' a sponge bath, and washin' my hair clean. I ain't gonna hoit myself again. Go bug someone else. Or, bettah yet, go call a doctah, will ya? My foot's killin' me, and Ise is pretty suah it ain't supposed tah feel like dis."

"I'll get right on it!" I called Racer, another one of my more skilled runners and birds in, and asked him if he could get Dr. Carheart to make an extra house call for us. He bolted out the door just as Trousers called my name telling me she was ready. We slowly, but surely got her into some new clothes and sitting up very comfortably against the wall. I sat next to her and she leaned her head against my chest, dozing fitfully while soaking my shirt with her wet hair. Geeze after a week of sleep you'd think a girl would get tired of it. But apparently not.

An hour later, Racer was back with the doc. Took him long enough. "Doctah! T'ank God! I t'ink she hoit her foot somehow. I dunno, when she took a step on it she crumpled ovah. Its da left one."

"What was she doing walking on it? I thought I could trust you with this simple task of watching over her." The doc shook her head and laughed. "But I see now that I was wrong. Should I get your pal over here to watch her?" I scoffed at that, choosing to ignore the comment and instead waking Trousers up.

"Oh, good, youse is heah, doc. I knew I could trus' dis one tah look aftah me. It's me foot. Ise can' walk on it." After a few minutes of testing it, the doctor decided the foot was broken, but starting to heal crooked. She had to re-break it and then set it. Trousers looked a bit worried, as if she knew how much pain she was in for.

"Can Ise stay wid her doc, while youse woik?"

"No, I'm afraid not Spot. You might try to stop me from helping her. Now, out. Shoo, shoo!" She said, ushering us out and turning to her entourage of nurses that always seemed to follow her. I sat on the other side of the closed door and waited with my breath held. I heard her screams and began pacing, knowing there was nothing I could do for her but sit and listen. After what seemed like an eternity, Doc Carheart finally emerged. "You can go in now. My work here is done." I followed her passed the Kirkbys who were wondering what was going on up there and out into the streets. I cleared my throat.

"Doc?" She turned at the sound of my voice.

"Continue along ladies. I'll be at our next appointment in a few minutes." I watched them walk away and spoke slowly.

"I- I'd just' like tah t'ank youse. Widdout youse I don' know what would a happened. She could a been dead. I'd also like tah t'ank youse foah not makin' us pay. So on behalf of all da newsies at 61 Poplar Street (which is actually the real location of the Brooklyn Newsboys Lodging House in Brooklyn) heah is wha' we could scrounge up and try tah make up tah youse." I produced a handful of coins which came nowhere near the amount we owed her for all of her troubles. I hastily shoved it into her hand and ran back into the house before she could protest. I watched out the window to see her slowly close her gaping mouth and walk down the street. Then I trudged up the stairs to check on how Trousers was doing.

* * *

><p>Spot helped me up out of bed and led me to the bathroom. On the second step though, I toppled to the side. He caught me before I could fall.<p>

"Oh, when I find out who did dis tah me dose scabbahs is soaked. No, deys bettah dan soaked, deys dead." We continued very slowly to the bathroom and he awkwardly told me why he was leaving me here… As if I didn't already know. I chuckled at him. I was surprised that after all these years he could still make me laugh. Not many people can do that. "Ow. Don' make me laugh. It hoits." I told him as I shoved him out of the room. He hollered at me to call him when I was ready. After I was done, I smelled myself. Ew. I needed a bath. I glanced at my reflection. Oh. I really did need a bath. I stripped down and ran water into the metal tub under the pump. Grabbing a cloth, I dipped it into the now soapy water and began slowly—geeze did everything have to be so slow with me?—to give myself a sponge bath. I winced a few times as I hit my now un-bandaged ribs, and avoided my side wound. I found some new bandages and wrapped myself back up. Man, getting in fights was painful. Somehow, I managed to clean my hair as well, and I dried it down as best I could before asking Spot to throw me some new clothes. He burst in right after I'd gotten my underwear and long- johns on. "Hey! You're lucky I wasn't unclothed heah!" I said, blushing ferociously. He chuckled nervously.

"Um… Ise already called da doc foah youse. She should be heah in a while. Need help?"

"Uh, yes, t'ank youse. It was gettin' kind a hard heah to do dis all widdout hoitin' myself again." After we managed to get me dressed, I hobbled back over to the bed with much help and we got me sitting up against the wall. Spot climbed up next to me and I fell asleep on him—again.

I awoke once again to Spot calling my name. "Oh, good, youse is heah. I knew I could trus' dis one tah look aftah me. It's me foot doc. Da left one. Ise can' walk on it." I told her explaining the situation. Spot was told to leave the room as he would just be a hindrance in them re-breaking my foot. As soon as he left and the doctor started about her work, I asked some questions to lighten the heavy mood. "So, doc, do ya evah get tiahed a hearin' people call youse doc all day? I t'ink I'd get pretty tiahed a it if I was you." She chuckled lightly.

"No, actually, you fine folks here at the boarding house are just about the only ones who call me that. I'm kind of thankful for it as you guys here actually trust me for being a doctor. Most people look down on me for it. Apparently women aren't supposed to be doctors." My brow furrowed at this news.

"Well why not? Youah jus' as reputable as me next doah neighbah back home, in Ireland. She was a woman an she healed people all da time. Do youse t'ink I could be a doctah someday?"

"Well, I don't see why not. Now, this may hurt, just a little." She said, as she painfully and skillfully broke my foot again in a way I didn't know just hands were capable of. I screamed and hoped Spot didn't just try to come to my rescue. She set my foot and I screamed again.

"Da woist ovah yet, doc? I mean how bad can it get aftah dis?" I asked her as she wrapped my foot up in multiple heavy bandages.

"Yes, I think the worst is over. All you have to do is heal. And it could be worse. You could be dead." Everyone laughed at this statement, and I winced.

"Ouch, doc. Dat hoits. Whoevah said laughter was da best remedy obviously hasn' tried laughin' wid broken ribs befoah now have dey?" Dr. Carheart left me with instructions on how to take care of myself, and that I shouldn't get out of bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

A few days later, after all the boys had finished selling their papes for the day and they had pitched in once again to pay the six cents for my boarding, they gathered in my room to entertain me. I was glad for it seeing as I could hardly do anything anymore; I couldn't even help Mrs. Kirby and Shaw with the daily upkeep of the place.

"So wheah did ya nickname come from Trousahs?" Glum asked. It was obvious where most of the kids here got their nicknames. Mine and Spot's were probably the hardest to figure out. Spot chuckled.

"Ise got dis one Trous. Ise t'ink I tell it best, considering Ise da one who picked ya name." I rolled my eyes.

"Youse can go 'head an' tell it, I'll just sit back an' enjoy da story." To prove my point, I just settled farther into the bed and laid my head on his chest. He snickered and started the story.

"Well, when wese was little an'… her fam'ly had just... well, passed…" He trailed off and cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.

"It's okay, Spot, youse can say it. Aftah my fam'ly had just died. Long story kids, I'll tell it anudda time when I'm not so fragile 'bout it." He cleared his throat again and continued on.

"Okay, so aftah her fam'ly had just died, wese was messin' around in Central Pahk, all da way ovah in Manhattan, 'cause wese was visitin' Jacky-boy. She decided tah climb a tree tah keep herself occupied while wese was waitin' fah whatevah it was wese was waitin' fah. Well, anyways, she was climbin' da tree an' 'bout neah fell outta dat thin'. Somehow, she ended up hangin' on wid her legs. Now, remembah, dis was when she still wore dresses, a sight none a youse will evah see 'cept fah durin' da wintah. Or unless it was somethin' like lastweek, but dat was a special dress. Dis dress she was weahin' was a ev'ry day thing fah her. Youse should a seen some a da dresses her momma made her weah, what wid her bein' a seamstress an' all. But dat's a diff'rent story fah anudda day. As Ise was sayin'; well, her legs en'ed up supportin' her an' all her weight. An' since she was weahin' a dress, dat thing came right up ovah her head." At this, I turned and buried my face in his shirt, as I was still too embarrassed to think about it. He laughed, causing his chest to rumble. "As soon as I saw she wasn't gonna fall, I bust out laughin'. Oh, dat was da funniest sight Ise evah did see! Now da Trousahs paht comes from da trousahs she was weahin' undahneath da dress, just 'cause she was so embarrassed 'bout it." He glanced down at me. "See, she still is!" He said chortling at the top of his lungs.

"It wasn't dat funny, Mistah High an' Mighty! What if dat would a happened tah youse?" I burst into laughter at this mental image I created of him, hanging upside down in a tree with a dress on. All the newsies looked around nervously. They couldn't decide whether to laugh or leave the room. No one dared talk to the King of Brooklyn that way, except me. They should all have learned this by now. I'd been talking to him like this since we met, and it hadn't changed when he became king. It certainly wasn't going to change now, just because all of his newsies were looking. It would have been weird if it changed for any reason. I was lucky; if anyone else dared talk to him like I did most of the time, they would have been whacked senseless with his cane.

"Well, doll, that wouldn't a happened to me, 'cause foist of all, I'd nevah be caught dead in a dress. An' second, I'm more balanced in a tree dan youse an' nevah would a fallen in da foist place. Anyways, back to me story. Da second paht a her name comes from da fact dat months aftah dat incident, she took tah weahin' trousahs full time... She was afraid a fallin' outta a tree again." He shook his head, laughing.

"Yeah, yeah. It's bettah dan takin' anudda chance at climbin' a tree an' gettin' embarrassed agin. So, Spot," I said, "Wheah'd you get youah nickname?" I asked him knowing perfectly well he wouldn't be happy with me.

"Y'know, you wouldn't be quite as sassy if youse wasn't hoit."

I scoffed. "Ya right, Spot. I'd be moah. An' you'd love it." He just rolled his eyes. "So, youse gonna tell us? Huh? Huh?" I teased. All of his newsies looked eager to hear his story.

"Yeah, Spot! Can we please heah da story?" Pepper asked. PepperMint was our youngest and one of the few girl newsies here. She was very sweet and loved stealing peppermints from people, hence her name. Spot groaned and rolled his eyes. A bad habit we shared. Well, that and sarcasm.

"No. No, Trousahs. I draw da line heah. Sorry, Peppah, but dat's just not a thin' I'd be obliged tah share at dis moment in time. Come on, guys. Out. Let's let Trous have her rest now." He closed the door behind them, turned back to me and smirked that famous smirk of his. "So?"

"So… What?" I asked confusedly.

"So? Whattaya t'ink a ouah newest addition?"

"What? I didn't know we got anudda addition. When did dis happen?" He chuckled.

"An' dis is why his name is Sneak. Peppah an' him ahe already getting intah trouble tahgedda. 'Course Sneak's gettin' both a dem outta it wid da authorities. Plus, you—one a da most obsoivant people Ise know, don't even know he's here."

"Whattaya mean? What kind a trouble ahe dey gettin' intah tahgedda?" I nearly screamed at him. I was the one who found Pepper, coincidentally trying to steal a peppermint out of my pocket last year at Christmas, and brought her back here. I thought of her as my responsibility, and treated her like a daughter. In return, she tried to be on her best behavior around me and thought of me as her mother figure.

"Oh, don't worry 'bout it. Its nuttin' serious. Dey's just like us when wese was deir age. It's harmless children's play." I breathed a sigh of relief at this, and yawned.

"Alrighty. But, while Ise is hoit, youse bettah keep a close eye on 'em fah me. 'Specially when Peppah's around dat Sneak kid. I don't know him yet, so I don't trust him." I said, eyeing him carefully. He chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry, I will. Now, youse just get some sleep. Ise got a borough tah rule. See youse tahnight at suppah." He helped situate me in bed and tucked me in.

"Alright, have fun rulin' youah borough." I said yawning again.

"I'll try. Sleep well, an' heal fast." He paused at the door and I thought I heard him whisper as he left: "An' it's not my borough. It's ouahs." I pondered those words as I fell asleep and wondered if he meant anything more than what he said.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Weeks went by and November passed by without incident. December came in with cold and snow, making some of the newsies sick. Doctor Carheart bustled in and out of the house with remedies for the ill. We made good friends with her over the month and a half that we needed her for. She came to like us so much, she gave us discounts on our discounts. I healed considerably well, much to the delight of both Spot and myself. I was tired of not being able to do anything. When the doctor said I was able to walk again, and that my ribs were healing okay, I started doing chores around the roomy lodging house for Mrs. Kirkby, such as dusting, making of beds, laundry, etc.

"Heya, Spot." I said to him one day after he came home for a little rest before the afternoon edition. He kissed me as his hello. "How was the selling?"

"Same ole, same ole." He replied. "Do you remember who it was that—uh, hoit ya las' month?" he caught himself before I got angry at him for saying 'soaked' again.

"I dunno. Dere was t'ree boys. I en'ed up in Williamsboig, so's I t'ink it was paht a Cheats gang. Y'know how Cheat hates ya foah bein' da King a Brooklyn an' ev'ry t'ing. I guess dey might a figured since I was yoah goil an' looked lost an' defenseless dey took a shot at me. Prolly undah his ordahs too. Y'know how he's aways got boids watching foah him tah see who comes in tah dat paht a Brooklyn widdout his pahmission." I said trailing off.

"Okay, t'anks Trous. How ahe you?"

"Hey, now don' go changin' da subject on me mistah. I want' yoah woid dat youse ain't gonna go doin' anyt'ing stupid. Ise hones'ly sahprised dat it took ya dis long tah ask."

"Well, I wan'ed tah make suah you healed up nice an' well befoah I did anyt'ing."

"Spot." I warned. "Please don't go doin' anyt'ing rash. I don't want ya hoit on my account. "

"Oh, don't worry." I sighed, knowing if I kept this argument up I wasn't going to get anywhere with him.

"Awright. Uh, can I have yoah key, so's I can wash da doity clothes you aways seem tah shove back in youah lockah?" I asked him. In response, he took the key he wore around his neck off and passed it over to me. "T'anks."

"Now, don't go losin' dat. It's da only copy I got, an' I still want access tah my clothes in da mornin'."

"Really, Spot? Youse t'ink Ise gonna lose yoah key? An' tah t'ink I t'ought you knew me bettah." I said, smirking. "Now, go tah da docks an' make suah yoah newsies don't get intah any trouble." He chuckled.

"Awright . Make suah you don' ovah woik yoahself. I still wan' ya tah get bettah." He said and kissed me again.

I smiled. "Oh, don' worry. Mrs. Koikby won't let me ovah woik meself. She's awready made me rest too much tahday. Now, g'bye." He trotted out the door. I waited for it to close, then turned around and headed down to the basement, where the locker room and laundry room were located. I got into Spot's locker and grabbed all his clothes from it, not caring if they were clean or dirty. I threw them in a porcelain tub and placed Spot's string around my neck so I wouldn't lose it. When I was done washing our laundry, I started on all the other boys laundry, and between Mrs. Kirkby, Mrs. Shaw and I we had all the various cleaning tasks done before the boys got home for supper. We still had about an hour and a half before most of the boys would be home, so we began on dinner. Nothing too elaborate, but enough to keep us all well-nourished. At around 6, all the boys came back again, and we ushered them out to play again. Spot came back around and helped me hobble out to the playground behind the building. Spot and I occupied two of the three swings there, and began trying to discover who could swing highest. We had done this many a night, when neither of us could sleep and we wanted company, but to be apart from the other newsies. We chatted, making idle conversation, until Mrs. Shaw called us in for supper. We all clomped down to the basement, with only about half of the six long tables full. The rest of them, mostly older boys, were out and about, performing their random antics and trying to impress girls. The corned beef and cabbage was excellent, as it was every Wednesday. It was my favorite. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, with us hiding the poker games every time Mrs. Shaw or Kirkby would check in on us, as gambling was not allowed.

The next day, after breakfast, the boys left for the morning edition, and Mrs. Kirkby, Shaw and I decided it was time to bread out the Christmas decorations. After all, it was December 13, and it was the latest I'd ever seen us decorate before. Usually, we'd have a few of the younger boys help us, but we figured they'd need as much money as they could get this year. Why? Probably because they'd been pitching in every day to help pay for my boarding and food and we wanted to be sure they could buy what they needed. We were trying to make it as surprising as possible, and sent the boys away whenever they'd come back. Spot didn't like it, saying I was acting too suspicious. But they always loved the decorations, and were glad to see them up when they got home for a nice meal of fish.

Dr. Carheart told me it would be alright if I started selling papers again and I began doing so as soon as she gave me the news. True, it was cold outside, but Spot and I had long since stocked up on winter necessities such as hats, gloves, coats and scarves. I recently started wearing skirts in the winter, as the extra layers helped keep my legs warm and I wasn't afraid of falling out of trees, considering they were too icy to climb when it was this cold out. I was thankful for the selling time I got in before Christmas, as it helped me buy all of the presents I needed to.

I got home after I had purchased my last present and asked Mrs. Kirkby if I could use her room for wrapping my presents, as hers and Mrs. Shaw's were the only ones with locks. She of course gave me consent and I began the painstaking task of wrapping, tying string and labeling them. As soon as I was done, I checked to make sure the coast was clear and hastily dashed down the stairs to set them under the tree. It was my personal tradition to wrap all of my presents two days before Christmas and sneak them under the tree. Spot and I sold the evening edition together and finally had enough dough to purchase Mrs. Shaw's present. We had no clue what we were going to get her, so we went window shopping for the perfect gift.

"So, how'd yoah healin' time go?" Spot inquired of me as we strolled along the worn cobblestones arm in arm.

"Purdy well, actually," I answered truthfully. "Very borin' and full of rest an' woik. I t'ink I have enough energy for awl a Brooklyn." He chuckled and turned his face to me, where I got a good look at it for the first time in weeks. I gasped. "Spot Conlon! Please, tell me you didn't go intah Williamsboig against my wishes an' soak dose scabs dat did dis tah me!"

He looked me square in the face and told me, "I didn'."

"Youse bettah not be lyin' tah me! Wheah did awl dese bruises come from?!" I said, gesturing to his face, where multiple green and yellow spots blossomed along his jawline and under his eyes. He had scabs on his forehead and one of his cheekbones.

"Awright, awright. Ise sorry, I went an' took control a Williamsboig—paht a Brooklyn dats supposed tah be mi- ouahs!" I was silent a few heartbeats then kissed him, which was very surprising under the circumstances. He went still and reluctantly gave in. When we pulled apart, he looked at me confusedly.

"Why'dja do dat? Ain't youse s'pposed tah be mad at me?" For once, I had bested my Irish temper and legitimately surprised the mighty leader of Brooklyn.

"Well, yeah, I still is a little, but I don't wanna get intah a fight da day befoah Christmas an' plus, I can't change what's awready done. An' youse keep sayin' dat paht about how it's not just' yoah Brooklyn anymoah, but ouahs. Why do youse keep tellin' me dat?"

"Well, I guess because I want it tah be ouahs. I mean, wese have known each udda since I was five an' youse was foah. Dat's a long time, an' we kinda fell in love ovah dose yeahs. We just started realizin' it a few yeahs back. But, now I figahed now's good a time as any." He then proceeded to get down on one knee.

I gasped. "Spot, no." I whispered, staring incredulously. He just chuckled.

"Now, I know dat both a us ahe too young tah get married yet, what wid me bein' seventeen an' you bein' sixteen. So, dis is just a promise ring tah say dat you'll aways be mine. So, will ya? Be mine, I mean?" I knelt down in front of him and threw my arms around his neck.

"A course! You didn' even have tah ask, I've always been youahs." He slipped the ring onto my finger. "I love it." I said, admiring it. It wasn't the most sparkling ring I'd ever seen but it was mine. And it already meant the world to me. It was just a small band of silver with little engravings on it. On the inside, it read, _Forever and Always._

"Well, good. C'mon now, let's get tah shoppin'." He said, smirking that signature smirk of his and helping me to my feet.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Christmas morning, I woke up to Pepper jumping up and down on my bed.

"Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!" She shouted extremely fast.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down dere, sweetie. Youse is gonna hoit youse self." I commented whilst chuckling.

"Can we open presents now?!" She yelled at me as she flopped down on her knees. She was still in her night gown and her short hair was a mess. However, her being her five-year-old self, she was as adorable as ever.

"Not yet. Foist youse gotta make suah Spot's up." I said with a wink and turned over once more. I heard her light little footsteps as she ran across the room, where she shut the door. The door obviously didn't close all the way, as I heard the conversation in the next room.

"Spot! Get up! I wanna open presents, now!"

I smiled when I heard him groan and say in a muffled voice, "Go 'way, Peppah. Go bothah someone else, I'm sleepin' heah." Then I heard a fake scream along with the thump of a pillow against a body. Pepper came running back in here, cheeks red from so much jumping and running between our two rooms. Spot and I had our own separate rooms, on the floor above all the other newsies, where the matron and assistant matron slept. I was surprised none of them had been up here yet to investigate.

"Trousahs, Spot's bein' mean tah me!"

"Well, pull the covers off him."

"I can' he'll get mad at me den t'row a pillah at me agin." I sighed and sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.

"Awright, how bad do youse wanna open presents?" She threw her arms wide open. "Okay, now how much do ya love me?" I asked. She ran over and gave me a huge hug, along with a small kiss. I sighed once again. "Fine. I'll wake him up foah ya." I padded toward Spots room in my stockinged feet, shivering as the cold morning air hit my body. I threw open his door and dragged the covers off him. "Awright, Spot. Up. Now." I said, mockingly stern.

"Aw, ya couldn' a just sent da goil in aftah me agin? I like her much bettah right now since she doesn't make me cold by uncoverin' me."

"Well, I was getting' tiahed a her buggin' me." I said, glancing at Pepper and winking so she would know I was kidding. I pulled on his arms, trying to make him get out of bed. He just pulled back harder, making me fall onto the bed considering how much stronger he was. "Please get up." I pleaded facing him.

"No. I don' wanna." He said holding me tighter against him. I began struggling to get out of his grasp, to no avail.

"Spot, please. I have newsies to wake up." I said.

"Mm… Maybe." He told me, resting his forehead against mine. I quit struggling and relaxed. I was still too tired to actually be awake yet. I closed my eyes for a minute. Or at least I thought.

* * *

><p>I rested for a minute with Trousahs next to me. It was peaceful, and I was happy to have her. I didn't think she would fall asleep so quickly. I left her to sleep in a little and took Pepper downstairs with me to wake up the other newsies. She was very helpful in the fact that she didn't even have to do anything but jump on their beds. They jolted upwards in a matter of seconds as they didn't know what was happening.<p>

"Okay, boys; up an' at 'em. Now wese don' gotta sell papes tahday, considerin' it's blizzahdin' out. Wese also got anudda Christmas tah celebrate. So, c'mon. Get dressed, go sell yoah papes an' den see if Mrs. Kirkby needs youah help." I left them with that and went back to my room, where I covered Trousers with my blankets and proceeded to get dressed myself. I turned around as I was putting on my shirt and saw Trous open her eyes. "Hey sleeping beauty."

"Heya. How long was I out?"

"Not long. Jus' a half houah or so. I woke up awl da newsies foah ya. Dey should be up an' about by now, prolly helpin' wid breakfast or somet'in."

"Well, t'anks. I bettah go see what I can do." And with that she skipped out. I scrambled down the stairs, my shirt only half buttoned, but I didn't care. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a stack of plates. It was my Christmas morning ritual to always help set the tables. Trousers and I never sold papers in the morning. We got today off only and gave the rest of the newsies that wanted it Thanksgiving off. I was done with about two tables when Trous came down, hair in a loose bun towards the side of her head near her left ear. Tendrils that had already dislocated themselves from the hairstyle hung by her face. She silently helped me set the table, grabbing forks, knives and spoons. Most of the boys plus Doubt and Pepper were back by around ten thirty. Trous and I worked in comfortable quiet as we set the tables and listened to the noise of Christmas morning. Breakfast passed with much conversation and speculation about what people were getting today. I pushed my plate back once I was done and surveyed my newsies. They looked healthy enough, none too sick, and were all well enough off to have at least gloves and a coat for the harsh winter months.

"So, Trous." I said. "How's youah mornin' goin' so far?"

"Pretty good. Latah staht den I'm used tah, but dat's fine foah Chris'mas, ain't it?" Our conversation was interrupted with a clashing from the other room. I dashed to the kitchen, and looked up the stairs. There at the top, stood a chilled to the bone Blink.

"What is youse doin' heah?" I exclaimed. "Is Jacky- boy actually crazy enough to send one a his newsies out dere in a blizzahd?!" His face broke into a huge grin, like it always did, even in the grimmest situations. He chuckled. "An' youse is smilin' an' laughin' 'bout it too. Youse is even crazyah den him."

"I volunteered! I didn' wan' one a his youngah newsies tah go out dere! D'you know how bad it is? Dey could get hoit, or lost an' den die." I just shook my head.

"An' dis was so importan' because?"

Trous appeared by my side then and said, "What's dat ya got dere Blink? Lemme see." He slowly made his way down the steps, his frozen limbs giving him limited range of movement. He stuck his hand out and handed a brown paper package to her. During the brief exchange, their fingers brushed. "Good Lord! Spot, Jack's insane! Blink, what's he doin' sendin' ya tah Brooklyn in da middle of a blizzahd?"

"Don' even bothah askin' bout it." She glanced down at the package and chuckled.

"Really? Dey couldn't a waited 'till, oh, I dunno, da storm was done? I wouldn't a minded a late present."

"Who's it from?" I pondered.

"Jacky- boy an' Cowgoil." She shook her head and whispered, "Unbelievable." Looking up, she smiled at him. "Well, why don'tcha come in? Wese got plenty a food an' warmth in heah. Wan' a blanket?"

"Nah, I'm go—"

"Come an' eat breakfast. Looks like youse could use some moah. Doubt! Come ovah heah!" She shouted. Yeesh! It sounded like she was the leader not me. Doubt came running in at the sound of her voice. "Go get me a extra blanket foah Blink heah, wouldja?" She then proceeded to usher him back upstairs into the room with the fire and tree.

"Hones'ly, I don' wanna be a bothah. Ise can leave anyti—"

"Nonsense! Youse gotta stay heah, Ise don' cahe (care) if Jacky's crazy 'nough tah send ya out in dat, Spot an' I ain't an' we won' letcha 'till its passed." Pepper zipped into the room then.

"Blinky!" She screamed, catapulting herself onto his lap. "How ahe youse? Youse is so cold." She commented innocently.

"Ise good. Yeah, yeah, Ise is cold. Jack just sent me ovah heah tah delivah a package dat could a waited is awl."

"Oh. Well dats sad. Hey! Can wese open presents now dat Spotty's up? Please?!" I rolled my eyes at the term of endearment. Now Blink would spread the news that I let my newsies call me mushy names. Lovely.

"I don't know. Can we, _Spotty_?" Blink said.

I put a hand on my cane and replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, I'll open your present right now, _Blinky_." I said and walked away to call my newsies in.

* * *

><p>Our breakfast was interrupted when we heard a loud banging sound coming from the kitchen. What in the world? Spot bolted from his chair and ran past the watching boys and girls. We heard hushed conversation coming from the adjacent room, voices going up and down a few notches every once in a while. I decided to go check it out. When I walked into the kitchen, there was a frozen Blink standing at the top of the stairs. What the..? What's Jack doin' sendin' his newsies all da way ovah tah Brooklyn on a day like tahday? I asked myself. I noticed a brown, soggy something or other in his hand.<p>

"Whatcha got there, Blink? Lemme see." I told him truly curious. He clambered down the stairs as slow as a lazy bear. He held his hand out and I made to take the package out of his hands. This kid was freezing! Jack is truly insane! "Good Lord! Spot, Jack's insane! Blink, what's he doin' sendin' ya tah Brooklyn in da middle of a blizzahd?"

"Don' even bothah askin' bout it." He replied as I studied the package and laughed.

"Really? Dey couldn't a waited 'till, oh, I dunno, da storm was done? I wouldn't a minded a late present."

"Who's it from?" Spot asked me.

"Jacky- boy an' Cowgoil…. Unbelievable. Well, why don'tcha come in? Wese got plenty a food an' warmth in heah. Wan' a blanket?"

"Nah, I'm go—"he tried to protest, but I cut him off.

"Come an' eat breakfast. Looks like youse could use some moah. Doubt! Come ovah heah!" I yelled facing the other room. She was here in a matter of seconds. "Go get me a extra blanket foah Blink heah, wouldja?" I asked her not even bothering to check if she would. I knew she'd follow orders. I brought Blink upstairs and sat him by the fire.

"Hones'ly, I don' wanna be a bothah. Ise can leave anyti—"

"Nonsense! Youse gotta stay heah, Ise don' cahe if Jacky's crazy 'nough tah send ya out in dat, Spot an' I ain't an' we won' letcha 'till it's passed." I informed him as Pepper flew around the corner.

"Blinky!" she yelled, smiling and jumping onto his lap. "How ahe youse? Youse is so cold." She told him.

"Ise good. Yeah, yeah, Ise is cold. Jack just sent me ovah heah tah delivah a package dat could a waited is awl." He replied bitterly.

"Oh. Well dats sad. Hey! Can wese open presents now dat Spotty's up? Please?!" She asked loudly, addressing no one in particular.

"I don't know. Can we, _Spotty_?" Blink said.

"Yeah, I'll open your present right now, _Blinky_." Spot said, glancing down, resting a hand on his cane and walking out of the room. Five minutes later, Spot came back in, a horde of newsies following him. Doubt placed a thick blanket around Blinks shoulders. Pepper was still sitting in his lap. The newsies tore into their presents ferociously. I watched slightly amused, my eyebrows raised. When I thought it was clear I walked over to the tree and grabbed the presents I bought. I handed Spot and Pepper theirs. Pepper looked at hers eagerly, and then opened it tenderly. She squealed in delight when she saw it. A bagful of peppermints (no surprise there, I think everyone gets her them) and a handmade doll. I had actually crafted it myself while I was healing from my attack.

"T'ank youse, t'ank youse, t'ank youse!" She shouted at me and engulfed my legs in a very tight embrace. She ran off and took Blink with her. Probably so they could go play together. Good thing he loved kids. Spot looked at me.

"Well? Go 'head. Open 'em." He tore off the brown paper.

"Well, t'anks." I chuckled.

"I made sure they were the right length too. Youahs look a bit too short." I said referring to the brown pants he had a tendency to wear so much. He opened the second one.

"A chain? What for?"

"Yoah neck, silly. I figahed youse needed a new one. Dat rope was gettin' pretty old and worn. Youse can put da key on it." I said. "I know it's not much…"

"I love it. T'ank youse!" He said, hugging me. "Now, foah yoahs." He produced two brown paper packages tied up in string—much like the ones I'd given both him and Pepper. One of them was large, the other small. I opened the small one first, to reveal a twine headband.

"Oh, Spot! It's amazing!"

"Well, I knows how much youse like keepin' da hair outta yoah face. I got bored one summah day at da docks, so's I fiddle wid some string I had in my pocket—dunno why I had dat much on me, but I did, an' it toined out like dis." I opened the other one. It was a pair of shoes. They looked brand new.

"Spot… You didn'. How..?" I said in amazement.

"Don' worry 'bout it. Youse like dem?"

"Well, a course! Ise needed new shoes foah a long time! T'anks!" They were leather and black, just the color I liked, at least for shoes. I kissed his cheek and we went to go give the matrons their presents. Mrs. Kirkby loved the sewing kit we got for her and also the heavy quilted blanket Spot and I had made together. Mrs. Shaw liked the assortment of feather pencils we got her, along with the ink and parchment.

The rest of the day passed with much joy as the younger ones played with the toys they had received from the state. We heard another loud clanging coming from the top of the stairs. _What_ _now?_ _Anudda_ _Manhattan_ _newsie_? I thought to myself. Blink came running in from a few rooms down, carrying a small teapot. Probably from playing 'dollies' with Pepper. Spot and I dashed towards the stairs to see what was going on. We were met by a ruddy cheeked, runny nosed, beautiful, blonde haired girl. She took a deep breath.

"Dere you is, Blink." She said, breathlessly but still loudly. "Jack sent be ovah tah check on youse. We awl t'ought youse was comin' back."

"Now, why's he sendin' ya ovah heah when youse still got a cold?!"

"Geeze, Spot. Jack's even crazyah den Ise t'ought. What's he doin' sendin' sick newsies ovah heah now? What's he doin' sendin' his newsies ovah heah in da foist place on a day like tahday."

"Oh, I don't bind." She said coughing.

"Awright, Melody. Let's getcha a blanket… Blink, wheah'd da one you had go?" I asked.

"I'll get it." He said darting from the room.

"I'll make da tea doc left us." Spot said, running down the stairs. Melody was humming a tune under her breath.

"What's dat youah hummin'? It sounds nice." I commented.

"Oh, jus' anudda song I wrote." She said nonchalantly. I got her situated by the fire just like I had with Blink after he got here earlier. Blink came in with the blanket he had used earlier and began chatting away with Melody, asking her about what was going on over in Manhattan. I sat down by the piano and began playing a tune. The newsies were still all loud and noisy and filled with happiness from it just being today. I played the piano for at least fifteen minutes before Melody started singing out loud. I listened and quickly caught the notes and we began harmonizing. Even when she was sick, she still sounded great. We continued this until early evening, when Mrs. Kirkby called us downstairs for Christmas supper.

"So, what's goin' on in Manhattan?" Spot asked Melody and Blink, curious as to what Jack was so busy with that he couldn't come visit an old pal.

"Spot, if youse wanna see him so bad, den why don'tcha jus' go ovah dere youse self?" I inquired. Spot looked affronted.

"Hey, Ise was just' wonderin'. Is dere anyt'ing wrong wid dat, now?"

"No, it's just' Ise know da reason youse is askin."

"Really, now? 'Cause it ain't somet'in' I'd expect youse tah know just' quite yet." Blink and Mel were watching the exchange with a certain air of amusement.

"Oh." I said glancing down at my food of turkey, stuffing and potatoes. "'Cause, I was just' teasin'. I didn' mean I knew anyt'ing' like dat. Ise would a waited tah ask about somet'in' like dat. But, youse know, if youse wanna tear intah dat now…" I said with a slight tinge of annoyance in my tone.

He leaned in and whispered to me, "I don't t'ink I'll get intah dat now, t'ank youse very much, but if youah willin' tah discuss it anudda time, dat's fine by me. Sweethaht." He added for a bit extra punch. He still wanted people, especially the ones from other boroughs, to know that he was still in charge, even if he had known me practically his whole life. 'Course, he's not really in control here, considering I can command him and he'll do practically anything I want. It's what happens when you're totally and irrevocably in love.

"'Kay, fine. Youse win dis time. Wese can talk about it latah." I said finishing off my peas and the rest of my turkey. I went to go sit in our lounge by the small fire that we usually kept burning there in the winter. It was nice and cozy, so I just waited for him to come up to me. We generally did this every Christmas night, and had a little chat, recapping the good times we had together over the year and the things that were slightly depressing. We always ended the evening on a good note and Mrs. Kirkby or Shaw would read to us from Luke chapter 2.

Spot came up fifteen minutes later. He looked nice in his Christmas outfit that he always wore. Black pants that actually fit—they were the leaders before him—and a light blue shirt. He never sported a hat on days like today, but wore his hair slicked back and looking nice—like it commonly is before the heat and sweat from the day get to it. And, of course, he's wearing his red suspenders. Like always.

Likewise, I was dressed in my traditional Christmas getup— an actual dress like the ones my mother used to make me wear. Except Mrs. Kirkby had fashioned this one for me, and it was definitely more classy than the wool ones I used to wear when I was seven. It was made of silk, a rarity that is hard to come by. White silk too, that was short sleeved and had a modest sweetheart neckline. A thin little bow came up under the bust and tied in the back. The rest of it draped over me in such a way it made me look like even more of a girl—like curvy and stuff—which I sometimes hate. But I'll have to admit I did like it at the same time since it made Spot gawk, even after all these years.

"Heya Spot!" I said.

"Hey, hey!" He responded.

"So, how's Melody an' Blink? Holdin' up awright? Even aftah goin' out in da stoirm?" I asked him.

"Oh, good. Dey's jus' catchin' up on what's goin' on ovah in Manhattan. I feel bad foah Melody dough. She's got a huge crush on Blink an' he's got his sights set on anudda goil."

"Well, dat's too bad. Blink would be lucky tah have Melody. She'd keep him grounded. You know how his head's aways up in da clouds." Our conversation carried the easy banter like this for about another five minutes until Mrs. Shaw called us downstairs for the annual reading of the second chapter of Luke.

"'In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register…'" Mrs. Kirkby murmured on, telling the story that I had come to know so well I could practically recite it by heart. The littler ones were listening intently, although, when I was younger, I used to fall asleep to it. It was only as I grew older that I actually listened and got it. The story on Easter then made sense. I drifted peacefully off to sleep, dozing on Spot's lap. He stroked my hair and stared blankly off into the distance.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

JANUARY

The rest of December passed with all of us in good spirits, despite the bitter cold. We rang in January without much fanfare, as we hadn't much to celebrate. It was now 1901. Mrs. Kirkby had announced that she would be retiring next month. I felt kind of bad for her, especially since she had no one to keep her company besides her one cat. To add insult to injury, a few weeks after Mrs. Kirkby announced she was retiring, Mrs. Shaw informed us she was going to do the same. Why? Both of them leaving us at about the same time? They were like grandmothers to us. We were to get a new superintendent. His name was Mr. White. He was old and I didn't like him. I don't think Spot did either.

* * *

><p>FEBRUARY<p>

It was a month later and Spot and I stood at the entrance to the lodging house, a mass of newsies behind us.

"'Bye, Mrs. Kirby!" We all shouted our term of endearment towards her as she climbed into the carriage. "We love you! We'll miss you!" I heard called and called myself in various ways. I had cried myself to sleep the night before because I was so sad to see her leaving. She was just like my mother, at least from what I remember of her. The pain of losing her was like seeing that fire collapse the building my family was in all over again. Ripping at the scab that had grown over my heart and healed, making in fester and pus all over again. Exactly like I wanted to avoid. I would have to experience this all over again when Mrs. Shaw left, because she reminded me of a mix of Mrs. Finnegan and my little sister. I hated this. My eyes were probably all red and swollen. That always happened when I cried. Spot leaned over and planted a kiss on my check, most likely reading my thoughts. I glanced over at him and wiped a lone tear that had lingered by his nose. Best to get rid of it before any of his newsies saw it.

I inclined my head toward him and whispered, "I love you."

"Love you, too, lovely love." He replied, staring after the retreating carriage. We turned and went back inside.

* * *

><p>MARCH<p>

Spot, Pepper, Sneak and I made continuous visits to Mrs. Kirby. Mrs. Shaw had gone west with her new husband about a week ago. We had all attended her wedding, wearing our special holiday clothes. I would always buy a basket of goods for my second mother on the way over here. Mrs. Kirkby was getting sick, with Doctor Carheart taking care of her free of charge. We had too many nice women in our lives, for which we were grateful.

* * *

><p>APRIL<p>

We didn't like Mr. White at all. He was mean, boxed our ears when we didn't listen – which was often – and was always keeping too close of an eye on us. He was a drunk too, which made it all the more worse. My bet was that he was put in charge by the state versus given the actual job by Mrs. Kirkby. She was too intuitive to hire the likes of him. Unless this man was a very good conman.

* * *

><p>May and June went by uneventfully, bringing the sweltering heat – and along with it, flies. I exchanged my bulky skirts for more manageable pants. Mr. White did not like the fact that we few girls wore pants. Said it wasn't presentable. Which was true enough, but since when did we care? I made Pepper wear the dress I was wearing when my parents died – yes, I did still have that dress… I couldn't bear to throw it away – even if it was out of style. At least it kept her from Old Man Meanie's wrath. That was the nickname Spot and Pepper had made up together. Ever since Mrs. Kirkby and Shaw had left, Spot and I had been making plans to leave. I ended up securing us a small apartment, even after he got upset at the manager and nearly ruined our chances at it. We put the down payment on it, but couldn't afford to move in until October. We couldn't wait. Pepper and Sneak were coming with as well. Pepper because I felt a personal responsibility towards her, considering I was the one to convince Spot to take a pickpocketing thief in – took him a while to come around – and Sneak because Pepper insisted that she wasn't going to come without him.<p>

"Peppah? Wheah ahe youse? Come out, come out, wheahevah youse is." I called in a singsong voice. I rounded a corner into an alley, and the sight I saw there stopped me dead in my tracks. Cheat – the leader of a rebel group of newsies – was holding Pepper up by her throat.

"I – please, jus' don't hoit her!" I screeched. "I'll do anyt'ing! Ise sweah! Please, jus' don't hoit her!"

"Ise ain't gonna let her go jus' quite yet. I t'ink I'll keep her for a while. She can – help me wid a little some'in'."

"Don't youse dare!" I said stepping forward.

"Ah- ah- ah. I wouldn't do dat if Ise was you. Iron! Nails!" he shouted, "Get out heah!" Two figures popped out of the shadows. Oh, no. These were two of the characters who had cornered me last year. Cheat tossed Pepper behind him. "Take care of her." And advanced towards me. "Now, let's – youse and me – make a deal." I glanced over his shoulder at Pepper, who was being shoved between Iron and Nails. They were making a game of it, seeing who could push her the hardest. She landed on her knees and began whimpering. Nails roughly pulled her roughly to her feet. I could tell she was trying to be tough for my sake.

"It's okay, Peppah. I'll save ya." At the sound of my voice, her façade crumbled and she began crying in earnest. Cheat chuckled rudely. "Awright, Cheat." I said venomously, "What's da deal?"

"Ise wan' youse… tah give Spot dis… message…"

"What is dis… dis message youse speak of?" He held out his hand. In it was a piece of paper, folded in thirds, with Spot's name scrawled on it crudely.

"Take dis tah him. An' undah any circumstances, do not – and I mean do. Not. Open this letter. Undahstand, sweethaht?" I nodded mutely. He placed the letter in my hands and I turned quickly away and began sprinting towards the only place I knew I could find Spot at this hour – the docks.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Spot! S- Spot!" I yelled, nearly falling into the tower of crates that was his throne. I caught myself on the corner and backed up so I could see him. "H- he has her – Peppah! Wese was playin' hide an' seek, an' – an' when I found her, he was nearly chokin' her tah death! Wese jus' gotta help her! Please, Spot! I promised her I'd save her!" I said all in one long breath.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, who's he? An' wheah'd he take her?" He asked, climbing down from the crates. I inhaled and exhaled deeply.

"Ch- Cheat. An' his gang. Deys got her." I glanced down at the letter and pushed it towards him. "Oh, an' he wan'ed me tah give dis tah youse." He opened it and scanned the contents quickly. Angrily, he crumpled the letter up into a ball. He pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me.

"Don' worry. We'll get her back. I'll make sure of it." He murmured into my backwards hat. I gently tugged the letter from his fist and read it.

**hi spot hows it goin? as ya prably no buy now i got won a yur newseys. on tha terms a getin her bak: sho up at tha east rivir at 11 sharp. ill bring the kapteve if yu bring yur powir.**

**-cheat-**

The little note read in Cheats pointed albeit messily scrawled letter.

_What?! No, no, no, this __can't be happening. __Please, God, don't let it be true._I thought to myself.

"Spot. We have tah make suah she don't get hoit. Please." He smoothed my hair. Usually, it would be back in a braid, but I forgot to do that today.

"She won' get hoit. Don' youse worry dat pretty little head a youahs. I'll take cahe a it." I was comforted by his words. But not for long.

"Hey, Spot? Is dis what youse was worried 'bout over Christmas?"

"Well, youse don' forget a t'ing do youse? An' yeah. It is."

"Mm. Do youse wan' me tah come wid youse tahnight?"

"No. Absolutely not. I ain't gonna take no chances a youse gettin' hoit or kidnapped too."

"But, Spot, if he was gonna kidnap me, he would a awready done it."

"Ise don' cahe! Youse ain't gonna come wid me an' dat's dat." He said firmly. "Now, Ise wan' youse tah stay heah and take cahe a da little ones while I'm gone." And with that he walked away. Probably to go to Manhattan to talk to Jack about helping him with our little problem. And a plan was already forming in my mind. The key was not to act suspicious so as not to seem like anything out of the ordinary was going on so that Spot wouldn't suspect anything. I had to bug him until he was sure I wasn't going to do anything.

* * *

><p>The news that Trousers brought me almost tore my heart in half. I couldn't let that little, conniving thief, Cheat to win. I needed as many tough newsboys as possible. Jack I knew, treated Pepper like a little sister, so he would definitely help. Also the leaders of Harlem and Queens would help me. Plus they owed me. So, it was at nine thirty that I left Trousers at the lodging house. I knew it was pointless to try to dissuade her from whatever plan she was hatching in her mind, but I still tried. The three other boroughs plus mine went to Sunset Park. There we would plan until about ten fifteen where we would walk to East River State Park to meet Cheat… And here I was, thinking I had squashed the rebellion that was growing here. Apparently not.<p>

* * *

><p>As soon as Spot left, I got Doubt to help me gather the remaining Brooklyn newsies. We went over to Manhattan to recruit Melody and Cowgirls help. They were already assembling the rest of the newsies Spot and Jack hadn't taken with them when we got there. Cowgirl because she wanted to watch over Jack and Melody because she wanted to watch over Blink. After I finished there, I brought my horde of newsies plus Manhattan over to Coney Island and enlisted the help of one of my best friends, Connie. After I explained to her what was going on, she immediately rounded up her toughest newsies and changed into pants. It was a little unnerving seeing her in pants considering she always wore a skirt, but, I guess she needed room for movement, and a skirt wasn't the best way to get that.<p>

"Okay goils! Let's go get 'em!" I shouted as we ran towards Brooklyn to go back up our boys and save Pepper.

* * *

><p>"Well, well, well. What have we heah, boys?" Cheat said as he led his gang along the bank of the East River. "Looks like he brought some backup. I was sort a hopin' dis would happen. Dat way, Ise can show ev'ry one dat da infamous Spot Conlon can be defeated. An' dats why I brought me own backup." At this a throng of newsies came out of nowhere and stood behind Cheat.<p>

"Well, Ise hope youse ain't expectin' tah win wid jus' da Bronx. 'Cause Ise brought 'Hattan, Queens, and Harlem. An' I'm pretty suah Trousahs will be heah along wid da rest of my newsies, Coney Island an' the remainin' Manhattan newsies as well. So's I'd brace youse selves, 'cause youse is in foah a whole lotta trouble." A very loud noise came from behind me.

"Awright, Cheat. Youse hand ovah da goil and wese won't hoit ya." My disobedient girl said, point blank. Well, at least I could count on her to bring support.

"Not so fast, sweethaht. Youse man an' me… wese got a bone tah pick."

"Not so fast, youse self." She said storming towards him. She discreetly picked up her left foot, and swept his legs out from under him. Placing a foot on his chest, she added, "An' _don't_ call me 'sweethaht'."

"Get 'em, boys!" He yelled as his thugs ran past them and towards us. I shook my head. _Leave it tah Trousahs tah instigate da fight_. Usually she wouldn't have been like this, but when someone's life – especially Pepper's – was at stake, she would fight until her death to save them.

I barely dodged an attack towards my side, when I jumped right and sent my cane sailing into his head. The person I had just took out laid on the cold, wet ground, unconscious or dead, I didn't know. I glanced over at Trousers and Cheat, who were fighting viciously man to man – or man to woman in this case. I could take on two newsies for every one I injured. It honestly wasn't all that hard when you had my street expertise. It helped that I had a cane. The fighting got rougher and more intense as Cheats fellow assailants appeared to replenish and appear out of nowhere.

Block. Punch, kick. Block again. Attack with cane. This routine became instinct as I tore through the enemy and made my way over to Pepper. I was going to make sure she got out of here safe, then find a way to stop this fight – as much as I loved it.

"Peppah! Peppah! Is youse okay?!" I asked her breathlessly. She nodded and was staring off at something behind my shoulder. I turned and looked. It was Cheat with a giant rock raised above his head. He was planning on knocking me out with it. I sidestepped away from the blow – completely forgetting that a little girl was standing in his path as well. The forward momentum nearly knocked him off the cliff. He caught himself, just in time, but in the process, crashing the rock into Pepper's head and knocking her into the river below.

"No!" I yelled. How could Spot do that?! He saw it coming too! What was his problem? Who was going to save her now? I couldn't swim. Well, I guess I'll have to learn now or never. Ignoring the person I was currently in combat with, I backtracked a few feet, sprinted towards the edge, and catapulted myself into the icy, black water. It felt like forever until I reached the surface again. I gasped uncontrollably for air and searched frantically for the girl I'd come to think of as my own daughter. Nowhere in sight, at least on the surface, I dived down, keeping my eyes peeled against the rough, salty water that accosted my eyes. _What da heck? Wheah is she? _I thought. A warm hand gripped my wrist, dragging me to the air above. I inhaled deeply, rewarding my burning lungs with the much needed oxygen. "Spot! Wheah is she?!" He looked guilty, as if this was his fault. Which it practically was.

"Ise dunno! Wese should prolly keep lookin'!"

"Really?!" I said clinging to him. I hated water. I had already had enough of it to last a lifetime. Taking a deep breath, I plunged in again, letting the current take me downstream a little ways._ Just a minute,Peppah. Hold on one moah minute! _I internally told myself, my lungs yearning for air. I projected the message to a lost Pepper, hoping that somehow she'd get it. _One moah... _And the world went black.

* * *

><p>I almost lost my balance as a person, fast as a whip, brushed passed me and propelled them self from the edge. I caught sight of the tail end of a mass of red hair, before she completely disappeared into the turbulent water below. I watched for a moment, and saw she came up for air. I waited once she went under again. A minute passed, then two. <em>What'm I doin'?<em> I scolded myself, jumping off after her. I gasped as the freezing water hit my body. Searching underwater for the two bodies of the only people I loved, my eyes spotted one, still moving. _Trousahs. She prob'ly needs aih now. _I thought, forcing myself towards her. I grabbed her arm and heaved her to the surface, where she adhered herself to me as if I was her life preserver.

"Spot! Wheah is she?!" I didn't have to ask which she Trousers was referring to. If I had, she probably would've hated me even more than she did at that moment. I hated myself even. _Stupid selfish me. Why did I hafta forget Peppah was behind me?_ I gave her a sheepish look.

"Ise dunno." I replied. "Wese should prolly keep lookin'." I added stupidly.

"Really?!" She sardonically retorted, dislocating herself from me and diving back under again. I searched for Pepper above water, hoping she'd got stuck somewhere up here, versus down there. After what I thought was longer than usual for a human to be under water, I hunted for Trousers once more. _Oh no! _I internally yelped as I saw her motionless body suspended in water. Deciding there was no other choice, I somehow managed to drag both of our bodies up the steep embankment of the river and onto dry land again. The battle between our two was still going strong, although over half of Cheats side had taken off once they'd realized the odds weren't ever in their favor. Leaving Trousers alone for a few seconds, I trailed down the bank, delusionally looking for a small girl. My left foot kept slipping over the edge, and I had to continually catch myself. After a minute or two of this, I came upon a crowd of people. They seemed to be staring at something, unsure of what to do. I pressed my way through the entanglement. The sight I met brought me to my knees.

"How long ago did youse find her?" I demanded. No one spoke. "How long?!" I demanded again, my tone sharper this time. A few of them flinched. Doubt made a few steps toward me. I didn't even know that she was here.

"W- wese dunno, Spot. We jus' found her. Laying heah like dis."

"Has anybody tried anything yet?" I asked, trudging towards the still body.

"Not so far." I groaned. Of course not. Jumping to my feet, I swiftly picked Pepper up and sprinted towards where I left Trousers. I put her down, and put my mouth to Trouser's. Exhale. A few compressions to the chest. Back to her mouth. This came almost naturally now, as I'd had to save multiple newsies over the year after they'd decided to suddenly take an unexpected dip in the murky waters. After what seemed like hours, she began sputtering up water violently, coughing uncontrollably. I released a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. I hugged her tightly to me.

"Can't… Breathe." She choked out hoarsely. "Peppah!" She exclaimed, desperately searching around her. Her eyes grazed over the ground, locking on a cold, motionless, blue body. "No! Please God, no!" she shouted. "Have you tried rescuing her yet?"

"Not yet. Ise dunno if it'll woik!"

"Jus' try it! Please, anyt'ing!" She screamed. I tried and tried, and after what felt like an eternity, still, nothing happened. I sat back on my heels, tears springing to my eyes. Trousers turned to me and buried her face in my shoulder, sobs shaking her now frail looking body. I heard a strangled noise coming from behind me. I looked around and noticed that only Jack's and my newsies remained.

"P-Peppah?" Trousers asked timidly, wiping her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"Mommy." Pepper said feebly.

"Uh, we ain't got mommies an' daddies, an' we ain't evah gonna have 'em." Commented one of my less emotionless and un-sensitive newsies.

"Mommy?" she tried again, and I realized she was referring to Trousers, so I nudged her forward.

"I- I'm heah, baby. Don' worry… I'm heah." She crooned.

"Ise wanna go home, mommy. Please. I'm so cold."

"Okay, sweetie. We'll getcha home soon. It ain't too far away."

"No… I mean Home. Tah Daddy." She said, looking skyward.

"Oh. Dat Home. Well okay, sweetie. Whenevah youse feel like it. I love you."

"I love youse, too mommy. Please, don' be mad at daddy. He didn' mean anyt'ing. Daddy. C'mere."

Trousers shuffled out of the way, and I moved into Pepper's limited range of sight.

"What is it?" I asked her, my voice thick with unshed tears.

"I love you. Please don' be mad at youse self."

"Okay, baby." _How does she even know?_ I asked myself. I began smoothing her hair with one hand and holding her cold hand with my free one. "Be good up dere. Don' cause too much mischief." I said, hoping to make her laugh even a little, and knowing full well she would whenever she got the chance. I was rewarded with a small smile. A pained look came over her face then, and Trousers began to hum Pepper's favorite tune. Tears were running down both of our faces unchecked. "It's okay, sweetie. Youse can let go now." I told her. She shut her eyes and Trousers started rubbing Pepper's forehead. I gently pressed my lips to her cheek. Quietly, she left our presence. I picked up her body, Trousers still holding her hand. Slowly but surely, our procession made it back to the lodging house. It was well past midnight, so Jack and his crew just crashed here. I laid Pepper in what used to be Mrs. Shaw's room. It looked like she could be sleeping. Except Pepper never slept with the sheets over her face. Silently, as if not to wake the dead, I crept out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Aw, poor Pepper. I honestly don't even know where that came from, I was writing and then all of a sudden... Boom! Whoa, did I really just kill a little girl? Well, okay then. And I couldn't resist adding a line from Annie (1999). Coincidentally, the girl who said it in Annie, her name was Pepper too. I just realized that hahaha. <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It felt like I'd been hit by a train. And I kept coughing up water even after two days. I was an emotional wreck, losing my almost daughter. It was amazing I even managed to sell papes. I saw Spot leaning against the corner of a building—probably waiting for me to get done selling. But why he was waiting I don't know. We'd been fighting since Pepper… He had a cigar loosely hanging from his lips—again.

"Spot!" I barked. "Get dat _thing_ outta youah mouth! It's disgusting! Youse need tah stop hangin' out wid Race. An' quit feelin' sorry for youse self. Youse ain't da only one dat lost her!"

"Yeah? Yeah?" He said storming towards me. "Well, doll face, youse ain't da one who got her killed. So I'll go on feelin' sorry for me self if Ise want!"

"Ahh!" I screamed in aggravation. "Youse didn't kill her! Cheat did, an' it was an accident! He was tryin' tah— " I stopped short. "It was a accident!"

"Yeah, well, I'm da one dat should be dead!"

"Ah! Spot, stop blamin' youse self! She wouldn't want it!"

"Sorry, sweethaht. But she ain't heah tah tell me not to, is she?" he said, unsympathetically, blowing a cloud of smoke in my face. I wrinkled my nose and waved a hand in front of my face to clear it away.

"Ahh!" I screamed again, more agitated this time and stormed away. _That foul, rotten little buggah!_ I thought uncharacteristically_. He really needs to stop blaming himself! It's not even his fault! Peppah wouldn't want him tah be mad at hisself. She even told him not tah be!_ I began humming Peppers favorite tune, the one Spot and I would always sing together. The familiar words assembled themselves in my head once again.

"Life is a road and I want to keep going/ Love is a river I want to keep flowing /Life is a river, now and forever, a wonderful journey/ I'll be there when the world stops turning/ I'll be there when the storm is through/ In the end, I want to be standing at the beginning with you." I wondered if Spot and I would ever sing that together again.

At home, there was no supper ready like there would have been last year, so I went upstairs to my room and out the window above my bed. I climbed up the fire escape and onto the roof. Sprawling out on the nest of blankets I kept up there, I began singing softly, this time from the beginning.

"We were strangers starting out on a journey/ Never dreaming what we'd have to go through/ Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing/ At the beginning with you." I stopped then, waiting for Spot to join in, then slowly realized I was the only one on the roof, so I sang his part for him.

"No one told me, I was going to find you/ Unexpected, what you did to my heart/" I stopped then, tears forming in my eyes. _Spot. Please stop blamin' youse self. How can I convice you?_

"When I lost hope, you were there to remind me: this is the start." A voice began where I'd left off. It wasn't Spot's, or else I'd have known it. I opened my eyes, sniffing, and propped myself up on my elbows.

"Oh, heya Sling. How's it rollin'?"

"Eh. Could be bettah." I noticed a purple bruise forming along the side of her face.

"What happened?"

"Huh? Oh, jus' Ole Man Meanie." She said, applying the term Spot and Pepper had made up for him, and rubbing the side of her face. "I did somet'in' he didn't like an' he tried boxin' me ears. I tried tah dodge him, but…"

"Well, Ise sorry tah heah dat."

"'S okay. Ise gettin' used tah it."

"Oh." I replied. A few moments of awkward silence passed.

"So… How ahe youse?"

"Could be bettah." I said using her own line on her. "I t'ink I might go tah 'Hattan or Coney Island."

"Aw, how come? Y'know Sneak's gonna miss ya."

"Sneak? Why?"

"I t'ink Sneak knows moah 'bout youse den youse knows bout youse self."

"Den shouldn't he a been named Shadow?"

"Prolly. But he's awready named ain't he? He kept followin' ya 'round, seein' if youse was capable a takin' cahe a her."

"Oh, really? Why's he need tah know if Ise can take cahe a her or not? I did perfectly fine 'till two days ago!" I yelled, venting. I was met with silence. "Well, I best be goin'. See ya round, Sling." I said, hopping up and jumping to the roof next to us. From there, I kept leaping building to building, until I reached the southwest corner of Brooklyn. Although, it was still Brooklyn, Spot let Connie keep it, because she'd fought him for it and won. This had to happen with all Coney Island leaders, otherwise they'd have to be Brooklyn newsies. I climbed down a fire escape and on to solid ground. Taking a deep breath, I crossed the invisible line into Coney Island territory and continued my trek. _Spot's gonna hate me fah dis_. I thought, squeezing my eyes shut. I opened them, and nearly ran smack into Connie.

"Oh, heya Connie!" I said, attempting to sound happy.

"Heya! What ahe you doin' heah, so late at night?"

"Have youse heahd about da incident by da East Rivah yet?" I said as her face drooped.

"Yeah. Ahe you okay? What's goin' on ovah dere?"

"Uh… Well, evah since dat happened, Spot an' I ain't been gettin' along. I mean fightin' an' not makin' up. Its been hoitin' awl da udda newsies too."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry tah heah dat. Youah welcome tah stay heah as long as ya want."

"Thanks! I'm sorry, but I couldn't stand tah be around him anymoah. He stahted smokin' again. I was gonna stay in 'Hattan, but I figahed I'd be caught fastah dere."

"Oh, it's no bothah." I shot her a smile.

"So, how ahe you an' Blink?" I asked, causing her to blush. She responded with silence. "Okay, then." I laughed. The rest of our walk towards the lodging house was only punctuated by the sound of our boots hitting cobblestone.

"And, heah we ahe!" Connie said with a flourish of her hand. I settled in, making a nest from the covers. _Home, sweet home. _I thought bitterly, drifting with a growling stomach.

* * *

><p>I stalked off, puffing angrily away on my cigar. It didn't taste very good, to be honest, but it was a way for me to take the edge off the stress and guilt. <em>Youse didn't kill her! Cheat did! It was an accident!... Stop blaming youse self! <em>Her words echoed in my ears. True, but what father figure doesn't blame himself for the loss of someone like Pepper? I certainly did. I was surprised Trousers wasn't blaming herself. My mind had gone there once or twice, but I'd immediately banished those type of thoughts. Trousers didn't deserve to be thought about that way, so I certainly wasn't about to start that cycle. I twisted my way through the back alleys of Brooklyn, checking up on my turf. All was well as I headed into the house as darkness settled in. Clambering up the stairs, hungry as I was, I dozed off fitfully. The next morning I awoke in a frazzled state. I walked past the kitchen towards the dining room, where Trousers always served breakfast and stopped short. Backing up I saw a deserted room. _Dat's odd._ I thought. _She's usually up by now._ Bolting up the stairs two at a time, I slid to a stop, using Trousers door frame to stop me. The bed was made perfectly, except for a few wrinkles where it looked like it'd been stepped on. I climbed up on the bed and hopped out the window. Scaling the side of the building via fire escape, I made my way to her nest. Nope. Not there either. I scrambled back down and into the main bunkroom. "Hey!" I yelled, startling half of my newsies awake. "Have any a youse seen Trousahs tahday? I can't find her anywheah!" A bunch of "no's" rippled through the crowd. I let out a cry of frustration and slammed my hand on the door frame as I ran to the front door and into the already bustling street. I called Trouser's name left and right to no avail. Almost an hour later, I jogged to the distribution center and began hawking the headlines halfheartedly. By mid- afternoon, I had sold most of my papes. I rushed to our favorite restaurant, Camille's. Camille was one of the boy's favorite girls to flirt with— not that she would ever take any of them up on their offers despite her flirtatiousness—she was almost like our version of Medda, just younger.

"Camille!" I yelled breathlessly. "Have you seen Trousahs? She wasn't in da house dis mornin'."

"Oh, darlin', I'm sorry. I haven't seen her at all. Not since you guys ate heah last." I groaned, closed my eyes and leaned my head back.

"Well, thanks, anyways. Hey, can I make an announcement real fast?"

"Suah thing, sweetie." She said strutting away to ring the bell hanging by the fireplace. The restaurant was set up buffet style, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The long tables were covered in red and white checked cloths, and spread apart to make a wide aisle down the middle of the room. A high, quick sound rang throughout the room. "Awright, you newsies! Listen up! Spot's got an announcement to make." Camille shouted. As I walked past her, she said, "Awl yoahs, hon."

"Thanks, Cam." I shot back. I could have done better than that. 'Course it was probably good she did it, because I probably would have been violent about it. "Okay, guys, Have any a youse seen Trousahs tahday?" My question was met by silence, "Didn't think so. Anybody have any idea wheah she went?" A black haired girl stood up and motioned for me to come talk to her. "Awright, sit tight foah now guys. I'll tell ya what's goin' on in a second." I said, walking over to Slingshot. "How goes it, my best shot?" I asked.

"Hey, Spot. Follow me." And she walked off to an empty room on the side of the lodge. "I know wheah Trousahs went."

"Do ya now? Mind tellin' me wheah?" She nodded hesitantly.

"But, if I tell ya—ya gotta promise not tah tell anyone wheah ya got da information."

"It's a deal," I said, spit-shaking with her. "Now, tell me." I said hungry for her whereabouts. I closed the door. She began spilling immediately.

"Okay, so yesterday she was on the roof, almost crying about something and I talked to her and told her that Sneak was following her to see if she was good enough to take care of Pepper and then she got mad at me and him for thinking she wasn't good enough and then told me she was going either to Manhattan or Coney Island and jumped onto the roof next to us, I don't know where she went after that or if she's still even in Brooklyn." She said all in one long sentence.

"Thanks, Sling. Why don't ya go sit down an' take da day off while I organize a search party."

"Uh… Okay." She said with a confused face, walking out of the room slowly. I sauntered back up to the fireplace with a new jump to my step, feeling confident I'd find her soon.

"Hey! I got new information on wheah Trousahs is. We ahe gonna go find her. I need two groups. Maybe, fifteen in each. Now!" I shouted. My newsies shot into action, forming clusters on either side of me. "Awright, now you guys head out tah Manhattan. I need ya tah see if Jacky-boy an' his gang have seen her recently. Now, da rest a ya follah me!" I led my posse through the streets of Brooklyn with an intense look on my face. I was determined to find her, no matter what. I'm sure I scared many a passerby with that scowl, especially since I was the great Spot Conlon. We made it to the Coney Island lodging house making reasonable time. I knocked on the front door. I couldn't just barge in there, even though it was part of Brooklyn. Coney Island was technically its own territory so… Connie herself answered the door.

"Hey… uh, have you seen Trousahs around lately? I heard from one a my little boids dat she was heah somewheah.

"Yeah, she was heah dis mornin'. I told her she could crash heah because you was buggin' her. She don't like dat smokin' a yoahs, Spot. Or dat attitude. She's a good kid, and I wouldn't want tah lose her if I was youse." I stood there speechless as she slammed the door in my face. I was not expecting that answer. Well, at least I knew where she was now. I knocked again. Connie opened it almost immediately, as if she was expecting me not to go away. This was good because I wasn't about to go away until I saw Trousers. "Look, kid. If she wanted tah be seen, she'd letcha see her. But she don't wanna be seen right now, an' she ain't gonna be until she wants tah be seen. So go away, and she'll come back tah ya when she's ready. Now, buh-bye." She said with major attitude. Well, okay then. I guess I'll just go back home then. I turned around without a word, my newsies following my every move. I didn't lift my head until I was out of the throng of newsies, afraid that if I did the embarrassment would begin to show. I can't believe I was just told off by a sixteen year old girl! I thought as I made my way dejectedly back home.

* * *

><p>A quick knock sounded at the front door. I peeped out the window. Aw, crumbs! Connie was coming through the back door, on her way to rest from selling papes. I'd taken the day off for fear of having one of Spot's birds spy me and report my whereabouts. That plan obviously hadn't worked that well. I caught Connie just as she reached the base of the stairs.<p>

"Connie!" I whispered loudly, touching her elbow.

"Oh, hey Trou—" I clapped a hand over her mouth for fear of Spot or someone outside hearing.

"Shh! Spot's outside. I need you to answer the door and shoo him away. Tell him I'm not heah or somet'in'. Please. I'm not ready tah see him yet." She paused on the step above me, contemplating it for a second or two. She was the type of person who encouraged people to face their fears and deal with them on their own—not that Spot was a fear of mine, I just couldn't bear to face him again so soon and with him acting like this—but something in my face must have convinced her to answer the door instead of making me get it. I heard Spot's voice as I hid around the corner.

"Hey… uh, have you seen Trousahs around lately? I heard from one a my little boids dat she was heah somewheah.

"Yeah, she was heah dis mornin'. I told her she could crash heah because you was buggin' her. She don't like dat smokin' a yoahs, Spot. Or dat attitude. She's a good kid, and I wouldn't want tah lose her if I was youse." The door slammed and another knock sounded. This guy wasn't one to give up very easily. "Look, kid. If she wanted tah be seen, she'd letcha see her. But she don't wanna be seen right now, an' she ain't gonna be until she wants tah be seen. So go away, and she'll come back tah ya when she's ready. Now, buh-bye." She said, and shut the door in his face again; brave girl.

"Thanks, Connie. I owe ya one."

"Don't mention it." She said with a wave of her hand, as she went up the stairs.

Days passed and no more signs of Spot or any one of his birds. I began to feel comfortable here and began selling papes, of course with the permission of Connie. She was perfectly okay with it and even encouraged it. Selling papes here was just like selling back home, except for without Spot by my side. It was slightly odd, but I got used to it quicker than I thought was possible. That thought scared me. I wasn't supposed to be able to be comfortable without Spot by my side. I mean, he'd been there for me since—well, since I'd come to America and lost my family. Maybe a month later, Spot came and visited again. This time, I was the only one home, so I had to answer the door. And plus I was beginning to miss him.

"Hi, Spot." I said, timidly hiding halfway behind the door like a little kid would hide behind his mother.

"Oh. Hey." He said surprised. He definitely wasn't expecting me to be the one to answer.

"No one else is heah; udda wise I woulda had them answer."

"Oh, no. I like it when ya answer. It's a much prettiah sight den when Connie opens it. No offense tah her, a course." He smirked. I smiled back at him and came out from behind the door a little bit. Our exchange was very shy and like we were school kids. Until he told me his news. "Uh, I gots somet'in I need tah tell ya."

"Well, come in den." I said, opening the door wider.

"No, Trous. I don't want dis gettin' out jus' yet. I need tah take ya someplace private wheah we can talk widdout bein' over heard." I snapped my fingers.

"I got it!" I said, startling him. "Let's go tah da amusement pahk. It's a Sunday, so it's gonna be crowded tahday so's as we won't be over heard by anyone. An' if we ahe, dey won't cahe 'cause dey're too wrapped up in dere own lives tah be concoined. An' it won't be very expensive." He studied me for a moment and then agreed.

"Awright. We can go dere. But I'm payin'. No objections."

"Bu—"

"Ah. I said no objections. Udda wise we won't go." I sighed.

"Fine." He offered me his arm and I took it, closing the door behind me. We walked down the steps and I led the way to the park. It was hard to believe neither of us had ever been there considering we'd both lived there practically our entire lives.

"It's nice seein' yoah face again. I've missed it." I blushed. Why was it that every time I was around him he made me blush somehow? It was quite annoying.

"Thanks, I guess. Anyt'ing new happenin' wid anyone or ovah in Brooklyn? I kinda been cut off from civilization."

His smile faded. "Um." He trailed off, worrying me for a second. "I'll tell ya when we get tah da amusement pahk. Udda den dat, nuttin's new."

"Uh, okay." I said. Our conversation was filled with much laughter, joking and pushing as we made our way toward the fun. Once we reached our destination, the camaraderie fell away and we both got serious.

"Two, please." Spot informed the gruff ticket master.

Spot paid the two dollars for our entrance and we walked into the park. The easy going banter we'd had before we reached the ticket booth continued. We played penny games here and there, then hopped on the Ferris Wheel.

"So, what's dis ya gotta tell me?" I prodded.

"Um, well, y'know…" He said, shifting in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. "Okay, so aftah you left, I was so mad at youse an' didn' know what tah do, so I went an' joined in da military." The remainder of my smile faded, and I suddenly became very interested in my cotton candy.

I hesitated a second or two before asking, "When do you leave?"

"Oh, not for a little while." Spot replied as we stepped onto solid ground again. Or, at least Spot did. My whole world however, felt like it had been tilted on its side. "Trousahs? Youse okay?" I found a brick wall close to the ground and sat down on it, feet planted on the ground, head between my knees. I felt nauseous and like my head was spinning too fast. I couldn't believe Spot was going off to war. What if he got hurt? What was I going to do then? What if something worse happens? What if he—? My head snapped up and I looked towards Spot, who had a concerned expression plastered to his face and what was supposed to be a comforting arm around me.

"Spot, what if you… What if you die?"

"What if I do? At least I'll die doin' some'in' noble." I canned it then, knowing he wouldn't understand. _What if he does? _A voice in my mind quipped_. Den you'll become da leadah a Brooklyn, an' get used tah livin' widdout him. _Whoa._ Wheah'd dat come from? _I asked, silently praying the different voice wouldn't answer back.

"Why though? I mean, what made ya want tah join?" He thought for a moment.

"Well, I once hoid from a guy ovah in 'Hattan, 'I don't want to hide from danger—that's not what it means to be a man. I don't think so anyway. To look in the face of hard things and keep moving forward—that's what one has to do.'"

"Oh. Who'dja heah dat from?

"Some guy, t'ink by da name a Teddy Cutting. Told me he didn't like livin' widdout no poipose no moah. Got me t'inkin' too."

"Awright. Don't mean I like it, dough."

"Well, youse don' gotta. But, youse do gotta take ovah Brooklyn foah me while I'm gone." I gasped.

"Spot, I—I dunno, if I can do it."

"Yes—you can. Ya gotta."

"Why do I gotta do it? Can'tcha pick somebody else?"

"No. 'Cause den I don't gotta worry 'bout fightin' somebody tah get ouah borough back."

"Can I get Sling or Doubt tah help?"

"A course."

* * *

><p><strong>The song is one of my favorites, by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis called At The Beginning. I heard it when I was watching the end credits of the animated movie Anastasia. And the quote is from a book by Anna Godberson, I don't remember what the title of it is. I do remember that the book was part of a series called The Luxe Series. I don't own the song or the quote, or Teddy Cutting. <strong>


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

We left the park and Spot went to the lodging house. I stayed at Connie's for the night, gathering my belongings before I left and saying my few goodbyes. I was planning on heading to Manhattan before I actually went home and began helping Spot tie up loose ends before he left. I kept to myself at dinner, shirking the conversation off to someone else when it was directed at me. The entire house retired early. I caught Connie before she disappeared.

"Hey, Connie. I just, uh, wanted tah thank ya foah lettin' me stay heah. It was, um, quite generous a you. Why'm I bein' so formal? "Uh, I came tah tell ya dat I won't be heah tahmarrah mornin'." Her face showed surprise, although I could tell she was trying to hide it.

"Oh. Um, youah welcome?"

"Uh, well thank ya. Again."_ Why'm I so bad at dis?_

"Anytime." She enveloped me in a hug, a startling gesture coming from her. "Please don't leave." She mumbled into my shoulder. Slowly, I un-tensed and wrapped my arms around her, hesitantly patting her back.

"Sorry, but I gotta. Can I trust you?" her head whipped up, face tear-stained. Sometimes I forgot she was younger than me and she needed moments like these.

"A course." She replied, a little insulted.

"Now, dis is some'in' I need ya tah keep a secret 'till Spot decides tah tell ev'ry one okay? C-Connie, look at me." I glanced around me to see if anyone was lurking in the seemingly empty shadows. A movement behind me caught my eye. "Sneak? Whattaya youse doin' heah? Followin' me 'round again?" I stormed toward him, my anger about him shadowing me constantly beginning to boil again. I sorely hoped this wasn't Spot's doing. "Get ovah heah, ya little buggah." I grabbed his ear, pulling him from behind the door. "Whattaya youse think youah doin'?" I screamed in a hushed tone, trying not to bring on-looking newsies attention to us. "Did Spot putcha up tah dis? Huh? Huh?" I gently pushed him up against the wall and counted to ten, trying to calm down before continuing. My eyes were closed as I apologized. "Sorry. Sorry." I looked at Sneak. "I didn't mean tah lose me tempah. Did he putcha up tah dis, dough?"

"Geez, Trous, Spot was right. He shoulda named ya Tempah."

I groaned. "What's Spot tellin' youse now? But, 'fore I get off track, did Spot putcha up tah dis? I gotta know, Sneak. 'Fore I get mad atcha again."

"No. I came tah see if youse was doin' okay. Spot wasn't involved at all."

"Oh. Well, next time, gimme a little warnin' will ya? An' don' eavesdrop on people like dat. Ya gotta loin tah stop followin' people 'round 'less ya ordahed, or dey ask ya to. Got it?" He nodded, and with a hop, skip and a jump he was out the door. "Now, go home an' get some sleep, ya bummah!" I smiled at him as he turned around and waved enthusiastically. I shook my head and spun back into the house. "Sorry 'bout dat. Just one a me boys gettin' hisself intah trouble again. Now, wheah were we?"

"Uh… If I could keep a secret?"

"Oh, yeah! Um, so can ya?"

"Well, suah. I been doin' it foah yeahs."

"Connie, wese all got ouah own secrets. 'Course we can keep dose." I replied, my back turned; I was inspecting a painting on the wall. "We just try not tah get involved in udda people's. So, I'm gonna put me faith in ya and tell ya dis one." I whirled around and pointed my finger at her, punctuating the air. "But if ya mess up—mess up even one time—it ain't gonna be me youah gonna have tah face. It's gonna be Spot."

"Well, I'm glad ya puttin' youah trust in me. I'll keep da secret. But, uh—" I cut her off.

"No 'but's' Con."

"No, but—"

"Dere's no 'but's'. No conditions."

"Wouldja just listen?! What's da secret?"

"Oh. Dat 'but'. Sorry."

"'S okay. So, what is it?" I led her into the small kitchen by her shoulders, making sure no one was around to overhear us.

"He's goin' off tah war." She gasped.

"N- no. He—he just can't."

"Well, he's gonna. Dere ain't gonna be no talkin' him outta anyt'ing dis time."

"It'll be like losin' a bruddah."

"Youse got no idea." Her hand was over her mouth, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Why's 'e goin'?"

"'Cause I left. Said 'e felt like 'e didn't have no purpose no moah." She made an involuntary 'aw' sound and I rolled my eyes. I made sure she was okay and then headed out for Manhattan, to put my plan into action.

It was nearing dawn and Trousers still wasn't back. The air was cold on the roof, even for an August morning. I was getting worried. It just wasn't like her to stay out all night like this. But, I guess she never really told me when or if she was going to be back. It was well past sunrise when I finally dozed off, filled with even more worry for her than I was used to.

* * *

><p>The sun was just beginning to peek over the city as I made my way towards Manhattan. I was almost to the end of the Brooklyn Bridge and the journey wasn't much longer after that. Most of the boys were already up and out the door when I reached their lodge, running and playing, jumping over each other and fake sword fighting. It was a more amusing sight than what happened on a daily basis in Brooklyn. I was amazed at how well these boys could handle waking up at the crack of dawn—all the while keeping a positive and upbeat attitude. Well, all except for Skittery, that is.<p>

Race sniffed heavily. "Deah me," he said fanning his face. "What is dat unpleasant aroma? I feah da sewah may have backed up durin' da night." He smacked Blink lightly, who in turn smacked Mush.

"Nah, too rotten tah be da sewah." Boots commented.

"Yeah, yeah. Must be da Delancey Bruddahs!" Crutchy cried enthusiastically as they all burst into laughter at the over used joke. I was leaned against the wall and just rolled my eyes.

"Hiya, boys." All of them were still chuckling as Oscar grabbed a young boy and threw him to the ground. A chorus of "Aws" and "Heys" rang through the crowd. _Da Delancey Bruddahs? I t'ought Kelly kicked 'em out durin' da strike. Guess I t'ought wrong._

Waiting for my chance to talk to Jack, I observed. Most of them still worked in perfect harmony. It seemed like after the strike, we'd all grown substantially closer. I was honestly surprised Cowboy was still leader, that he hadn't taken off yet. He was 19 now, much too old to be living at the lodging house. We'd all be noticeably sad when he left. Spot had at least the rest of this year and the beginning of next, and I had a little over two years. But, Spot and I had living arrangements, so we could still be newsies if we chose, although at our ages it was hard, and we'd have to get better jobs to keep up with the rent of the apartment.

"Hey, Jacky-boy." I said, standing aside from the line. I wasn't going to sell papes, seeing as I was in Manhattan. We had respect enough not to take business from other leader's turf, and they had enough respect to not sell in Brooklyn in return.

As soon as he was done buying papes and jokingly teasing the new paper distributer—the Manhattan newsies were actually fond of this one—I pulled him away from his admirers.

"Heya Trous. What brings ya tah dese parts?" I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

"Well, I gots some convincin' fah ya tah help me wid."

"Whattaya mean?"

"Go sell ya papes, Jack. Actually, mind if Ise come wid ya? I t'ink I can explain while youse sell."

"Us, suah. Whatevah."

I followed him through the streets of Manhattan, winding and twisting between the people in the already bustling crowd.

"Hey, uh, Cowboy!" I yelled over the noise. "Mind slowin' down some? I'm losin' ya heah." I caught up to him fairly quickly after that, and we began moving, him not saying a work. I looked up at him and squinted through the sun blinding me. "Cat got your tongue, Kelly?" I asked, chuckling.

He laughed humorlessly. "Nah, jus' a lot on my mind. Like, how much longah do Ise gots heah? Who'm I gonna put in chahge when I do leave? Where'm I gonna go? Things like dat."

"Ah." I said as we arrived at a boxing ring in the middle of a square, people crowded around it, sitting virtually anywhere they could find, cheering on their favorite opponent. "I get da feelin'. And I'm about tah put a lot moah on ya mind. Listen close, Jacky-boy, an' don' tell anybody." I leaned in closer as he sold a pape. "Spot's goin' off tah war."

He stopped dead in his tracks. "What did youse jus' say?"

"Aw, you hoid me. Spot's goin' tah war. An' he wants me tah run Brooklyn foah him while 'e's gone."

"Well, we can't have dat happen, now can we? Brooklyn ain't Brooklyn widdout Spot Conlon. I mean, no offense tah youse, Trousahs, but you ain't 'xactly Spot material."

"Yeah, jus' keep addin' insult tah injahry, why don'tcha?" I laughed. "So, whatta wese gonna do about it?"

"I dunno yet. Gimme a few days, an' I'll send a boid ovah tah bring ya back heah. Den we can discuss it." _Always the leader, Jack. So diplomatic._

"Awright. Woiks fah me. But, uh, one moah stipulation. Don't fahget, youse ain't s'pposed tah tell no one. Not a soul. Heck, I ain't even s'pposed tah be tellin' youse. But I needed help. An' dat's sayin' some'in', 'cause I rarely go tah anyone fah help." He studied me quietly for a second, as if sizing me up. I rolled my eyes and shifted from foot to foot uncomfortable and impatient.

"You have my woid. Not a peep tah anyone." We spit-shook and I went to head back to Brooklyn.

* * *

><p>"Flash!" I yelled, hoping to God that he hadn't gone out selling today. I needed a bird to go trail Trousers. "Hey, Sneak. Wheah ya been?"<p>

"Coney Island. I was checkin' up on Trousahs." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"She okay? What's she doin'?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She was talkin' tah Connie when I got dere. She shooed me out den told me some'in' 'bout not followin' people around, 'cause apparently dey don't like it." He said nonchalantly, skipping up the stairs to the main bunkroom. I rolled my eyes. How could he be so carefree?

"Wait!" He stopped just short of the top landing. "Have youse seen any a da boids?"

"Nah… Not tahday. But I did see Bouncah and Doubt down at da docks. She's teachin' him how tah swim. Youse could try one a dem." And with that, he walked into the room room.

At the docks, I found Doubt and Bouncer in the water, true to Sneak's word.

"Heya, kids! How's da wadda?" I stood on the edge, feet shoulder width apart. They looked up at me startled.

"Well, hey, Spot. Fancy seein' youse heah." Doubt chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Swimmin's ovah. Outta da wadda. Ise got a job fah youse." I smirked down at them. Obeying orders, they clambered out, creating puddles that evaporated almost as soon as they hit the deck. I wiped my forehead with the back of my arm.

"T'anks, Doubt."

"No prob, kid. Feels good anyways it's so hot out heah."

"'Ey!" I yelled over the increasing level of noise that was forming between the two of them. "Cut the chitchat an' listen up!" They immediately fell silent.

"Sorry." Doubt mumbled.

"Dat's bettah. Now, listen close. Dis job requires da skill of a boid. Now, I know neidah a youse ahe very talented at dis, considering youse ain't boids, so youse gonna have tah pay close attention tah where ya goin'." Doubt put up a hand.

"Wese know. Bouncah and I—well, let's jus' say most a us dat ain't boids know a lot about bein' boids an' trailin' 'em too. How do ya think woid gets around so fast?"

"Uh-huh. Well, then, I need ya tah go find Trousahs, wheahevah she is."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" Bouncer shouted and saluted. Him and a few of the younger boys had taken to playing pirates lately. I smiled and patted the kid on the head.

"Report back tah me as soon as ya find anyt'ing new."

* * *

><p>Footsteps echoed behind me loud and fast. No escape from my pounding heart and sweaty palms. A figure loomed in front of me, capturing me and rendering my limbs useless. Other figures glided from the shadow and stars erupted in my eyes as a blunt object was sent hurtling toward my head, making my world go black.<p>

* * *

><p>"Spot, Spot, Spot!" Bouncer and Doubt screamed from the end of the docks.<p>

"Any news?" I asked as they heaved and coughed, catching their breath, Doubt stopping herself with my throne of crates. I already knew the answer, considering that whenever there was trouble brewin' and someone who wasn't a bird delivered the news they always shouted my name like that from the other end of the docks. Doubt nodded her head vigorously, swallowing hard.

"Y-yeah. Trous-Trousahs was taken." I sat up straight, trying to keep from panicking.

"Taken? Taken wheah? An' by who?"

"I-I dunno. Wese found someone tah—a boid—tah trail 'em tah wheahevah dey's goin', so's as tah not give us away."

"Smaht idea. Any idea who took 'er?"

"Mm… Maybe paht a Cheat's gang? Da one's who been causin' awl da trouble lately." My eyes widened and I groaned, sinking back into my chair.

"Awright. T'anks. We'll wait fah da boid tah come back, den see what wese can do. Jus' sit tight fah now." _Okay Spot. Relax. Don't let 'em gat tah ya._ I reprimanded myself. _But deys got Trousahs! How'm I s'pposed tah relax when de gots da second t'ing dat makes my life worth livin'?!_ I rolled my eyes. _Great… Now Ise arguin' wid meself. Least it ain't out loud. Me newsies would t'ink I'm crazy._

* * *

><p><em>Wheah am I?<em> I asked, pushing myself up with my bound hands and applying pressure to the throbbing side of my head.

"Well, look who fin'lly decided tah wake up from her nice little nap." A cold voice said from the darkness.

"Cheat." I spat. "Spot ain't gonna be happy when he finds out 'bout dis." He laughed mirthlessly.

"Spot. Sweethaht, no one knows wheah youse is. Ise almost suah even you don'. Dere's no one tah heah ya scream. No one tah cahe if ya die. Dey won't even know. 'Course, dey won't notice, an' by da time dey discovah wheah youse ahe, you'll be long dead an' disposed a. Nice an' easy, an' no one'll suspect a t'ing." _Oh, dat boy suah knows how tah push me buttons. Sweethaht. Call me dat one moah time, kid, an' I'll bust ya lip!_

"How many times does I gotta tell ya? Don' call me dat! Oh, an' I'd be sahprised if Spot ain't on 'is way ovah heah now. Wese got boids quieter den shadows. Like a jungle cat stalkin' its prey. Heck, dere's prolly one who's listenin' tah dis convahsation right now." Cheat bolted out of his seat, wielding a knife in front of him and spinning in circles as if someone was going to jump out and attack him at any moment. I chuckled.

"Geez, Cheat. I ain't eve n got protection an' I ain't scahed a youse. Cowahd." He stormed toward me as I glared up at him. He backhanded me, causing my head to whip around painfully and my hair, wet from the earlier rain, to stick to my face.

"Listen, an' listen good, Sweethaht." I cringed at the over used term. "Ain't no one heah fah miles around. Ya in the middle a no wheah. No one's heah tah save ya, an' ain't no one gonna. So I wouldn't getcha hopes up. Sweethaht. I'm leavin' now. Iron or Nails'll be gaurdin' ya. Twenty-fouah houah watch, got it, Sweethaht? He patted me on the head like someone would a little kid. The door opened and I caught a glimpse of where I was as the moonlight illuminated the spacious room I was being held in. Something was leaking somewhere, I could hear that much. I was situated in the middle of the room; windows were both to my right and left bars strung across them. The floor beneath me was cold and wet. I felt around my ankles with my imprisoned hands. _Aha! Found it! Dumb idea to bind someone's hand in front a dem._ I rolled my eyes and pulled out my knife. _And you didn't even take my weapons. Idiot!_ I could feel my slingshot in my left back pocket and shooters in my front one. Sawing against the ropes holding my ankles, my blade snapped. I cried out in frustration. I searched for the remains on the ground and nicked my hand in the process. After freeing my feet, I began on my hands. Well dis is gonna take a while… The rope was thick and it was bound three times around. After what was probably hours, I finally severed all three layers.

"Yes!" I nearly screamed.

"'Ey! What's goin' on in dere?" Silence answered him, and again as he asked the demanded once more. "Ah fahget about it." I was guessing it was either Iron or Nails judging from my previous conversation with Cheat. I couldn't discern which because I hadn't ever heard either of them talk. I climbed up on the windowsill, a difficult task considering there weren't any footholds and the walls were slimy. As I watched the sun slog over the horizon I pondered how I was supposed to escape, or if anybody even knew where I was. I still had my slingshot and blade, so I could plan something with those.

My left leg was dangling over the edge, my right drawn up to my chest, arms slung around it. My thoughts began to stray and I became drowsy as the sun bloomed into full view, hanging lazily over the hills. I must have been a long way out of the city, seeing as there were no buildings or any noise for what seemed like miles around.

I woke up on the damp, hard ground, a dull ache in the side of my head—again. Apparently I had hit it on the chair Cheat had knocked over earlier. I was going to wake up with brain damage one of these days at this rate.

Days passed and I still hadn't figured out an escape plan. Cheat came by regularly both morning and evening.

"You'll see." I said to him one night as he administered his emotional and mental abuse. It hadn't started affecting me yet, seeing as I was a newsies and I got it from people of all types on the street daily. Of course I was used to it. "He'll come. He'll rescue me." My back was turned to him, arms folded across my chest, "I'll prove you wrong."

"Just one question fah ya." He said that same night before he left. "How'd ya manage tah get out a dose ropes?" I could feel part of the cold blade in my boot, pressing against my ankle. My slingshot and shooters were still tucked safely away in my pockets.

"Nex' time ya captcha someone, ya might wanna t'ink about confiscating dere weapons." He left without another word, not even bothering to take my weapons away. He still thought I wasn't a threat.

* * *

><p>It had been months so far and my deportation was in a few days. Brooklyn, 'Hattan, Queens. Harlem and Coney Island had all fanned out over these worrisome and dismal months, searching for Trousers unsuccessfully.<p>

Still, no sign of Trousers even after the birds started trailing Cheat and his gang everywhere. I thought it odd that there was also no sign of Iron or Nails. Of course, that was just hearsay, so I didn't think too much of it as I boarded the ship to the Philippines.

* * *

><p>I was pacing back and forth around the perimeter of my prison. A plan had been hatching in my mind for quite some time; I just had to figure out how to string it all together. I had been timing Cheat's comings and goings. He came twice each week I was guessing about every Tuesday and Thursday. My slingshot was ready to go, still tucked in my back pocket. I was planning on sitting on the windowsill and striking after dark. I'd aim at his head, illuminated by the moonlight, then fire, hopefully knocking him out. His thugs would be easier to handle, considering they were pretty thick headed.<p>

I was anticipating an early evening visit from Cheat, if I had timed everything right. As soon as I heard him conversing with one of his cronies, I would scramble up onto my perch and aim. Soon after I tired of my pacing I caught wind of commotion outside. Acting fast, I steadied myself, already on my windowsill and aimed for the door. Hopefully, my absence would cause minor confusion, giving me the opportunity to get away.

The jangle of keys in a lock. The clanging of the door as it burst open. The way time slowed down as I closed one eye and focused my aim on his temple. The rushing of blood and the pounding of my heart in my ears. My sweaty palms. Readjusting my grip on the handle and the agonizingly slow pace at which the shooter made toward its target. The cracking noise it made as it nailed him just above his right eye. _No! Dat didn't give me da break I needed! Stupid Cheat!_ I thought, sprinting past him and punching Nails in the face. _If ya hadn't been keepin' me captive I coulda made dat shot! I shoulda practiced. No time tah t'ink about dat now! Run!_ I risked a glance over my shoulder. _Crumbs! _Both of them were right behind me. I increased my speed hoping they would fall behind some. I wasn't going down with at least a fighting chance.

I was suddenly ripped backwards by my shirt collar. It was the shirt Spot had given me a couple years ago after he'd outgrown it. The green and white plaid one he always used to wear during the strike. My head smashed into the ground forcefully and I cried out in pain. My screams were carried off by the late evening breeze, not a soul to hear my torturous laments, as Cheat and Nails ravaged my body, beating me to unconsciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>If any of you have any tips on how to make my kidnapping scene better- 'cause I know it sucks, please tell me. Or, you could just rewrite it yourself, send it to me and I'll give you credit for it :) Thanks<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I woke up on something uncomfortable. People were crowded around me so I quickly snapped my eyes shut. A male voice asked a question.

"So what's da verdict, Doc?" I ached all over. And there was a stabbing pain in the back of my head.

"Well, I gave her stitches in her head a couple weeks ago, which I just took out today; as for the bruises… We—ll, just leave those be. The broken ribs, let 'em heal for a few weeks. I also suggest you get her to an appropriate establishment to keep her away from… prying eyes… I'll be back in three weeks to inspect her ribs." And with that a breeze rushed past me and a door slammed. There was a low murmur in the room and I opened my eyes again.

"She's awake! Hey, Cheat! She's awake!" All eyes were on me now.

"Wh-where am I?"

"What's wrong wid 'er speech? Da way she talk ain't right!"

"'Ey, 'ey, 'ey! Dere ain't nuttin' wrong wid da way I talk, so jus' shuddup!"

"Aw, dere she is. Back tah normal." What was supposed to be a soothing hand ran along the side of my face and I tried to elude it.

"Who ahe you? An' wheah am I?"

"Who am I? Who am I? Well, I'm Cheat, da leadah a Brooklyn, now dat Spot's gone."

"Spot? Who's Spot?"

"Aw, nevahmind 'bout him. He's garbage. It's me ya want."

"Want? Why would I want youse? I jus' wanna know what's goin' on. Now, wese established who you is, an' dat wese in Brooklyn, but who'm I?"

"Who ahe you? Well, let's see. Youse is me goil, ya name's… well, we'll have tah think of a name fah you. Fah now ya can be Amnesia. Yeah, dat's it." I shot him a glare.

"Don't tell me who's goil I'm gonna be. I'll decide dat fah meself. Oh, an' fah da recahd, I ain't gonna be told what I can an' cannot do. Got it?" And with that, I closed my eyes and rolled over on my side, immediately resituating to relieve the pressure from my ribs.

"Angah. Dats ya name."

"Fine." I said, "But it's da only t'ink Ise'll take from ya. Evah."

* * *

><p>Cheat's POV<p>

_Wow. Guess she hit her head one too many times._ I thought and then chuckled evilly. I was going to milk this for all I could.

* * *

><p>Trouser's POV<p>

The next day I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in. There was a pile of clothes by my head, a note on top. I picked it up. It read:

**dese are fah you. dont waste em. ya lucky im even lettin ya use em even dough dey dont fit no more.**

I rolled my eyes. I was surprised I still remembered how to read considering my circumstances. I got up, wincing and then began wandering around the cramped and small lodging house. I finally found the washroom at the back of the house. I filled up a tub up with soapy water and sank down into it. It was freezing. I heard laughter just outside the door and a split second later, a bunch of boys walked through it. I made a splashing noise, startled and trying to cover up more, but I probably ended up attracting more attention to myself than necessary. I groaned inwardly.

"Well, look what wese got heah, boys." _Please, please, go away. I ain't in da mood fah dis fight now_. I reached for a towel, and pulled it tight over the tub.

"Please, Cheat, jus' go away. I ain't in da mood."

"Oh, you ain't in da mood, huh? Well, look who's usin' my wadda. An', uh, who's lettin' ya stay heah?"

"Y'know what? I'll stay as long as I wanna stay, got it? As long as I'm payin' fah it, I'm good. Now get out. Please." The boys grumbled and left begrudgingly. I rinsed my hair and stood, wrapping a towel around my body. I walked out of the washroom with just a towel on, my head held high. This caused applause and wolf-whistles from most of the boys. A few of them looked at me apologetically. I rolled my eyes. _Boys. Pigs. That's what dey are! Da whole lot a dem! Pigs_! I yelled silently, closing the bunkroom door behind me. My face was probably beet red right now. I got dressed quickly, hoping to get done before all the boys were back and grabbing last minute things. I braided my hair and shoved it into my cap, still wet.

"Heya, Angah. Ready tah sell some newspapahs?" He slung his arm around my shoulders, forcefully.

"Ribs. Ribs." I said, flinching and he immediately retracted his arm. "Uh, suah. Is dat what we do fah a livin'?"

"Sure is. Ain't it a fine life too."

"So, what ahe we called?"

"Well, my deah friend, we ahe what dey call newsies." He led me out the front door and through the streets to where we received our 'papes' as Cheat called them.

"What's dis called?" I asked yet another question.

"Dis is da distribution center. I'll take us tah anudda one tahmarrah. Boys, before da aftah noon edition is out, youse shall have a new King a Brooklyn." They all cheered.

"Why ain't ya da king a Brooklyn now?"

"Well, sweethaht, 'cause dere was a little problem wid a tyke called Spot."

I scoffed. "What a stupid name."

"Yeah. But now dat 'e's gone I can take me place." I chuckled.

"Oh, an' what makes ya t'ink dat?"

"'Cause I beat 'im faih an' squaih."

"Whattaya mean?"

"Hundred papes. Oh, an' gimme an extra twenty fah da kid, wouldja?" He received his 'papes' and handed me mine. "Sell wid me an' I'll tell ya da story." I shrugged. Why not? It's not like I had any previous experience anyways. He took that as a yes. "Well, when I was little, mebbe…" he made an interesting, calculating noise, "eight or nine, da leadah a Brooklyn was ready tah step down. Spot an' I was good friends back den. We said we was both gonna go fah da position. Spot an' I is da same age, an'—well, now Ise tallah dan 'im—wese was da same height an' build an' ev'ryt'ing. 'Cept fah ouah haih an' eyes, people'd get us confused. 'Least from da back or far away. But we had tah fight da leadah. We both beat 'er—yeah it was a goil, Lacey—an' den as a tiebreakah, we had tah fight each othah. He won by default."

"How?"

"I got hoit. Bad." My brow furrowed. _But if he got hoit, don't dat mean Spot won faih an' squaih?_

"But don't dat mean—?" I tried.

"Anyways, dat was den an' dis is now. Spot went off tah war, so Ise gonna take me rightful place an' da weak little goil he put in chahge shouldn't be too hahd tah…" He trailed off, cracking his knuckles menacingly. "Take out."

I gasped. "You wouldn't!" He laughed maniacally and glanced at me.

We got to selling our 'papes', as Cheat called them. I had sold my twenty in less than fifteen minutes. Cheat said I was a pro, but I felt as if I'd done this before, many times, even though I knew I hadn't.

Later that afternoon, we made our way toward the other side of Brooklyn.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't Little Miss Doubt." Cheat snickered. The girl who he called Doubt gasped.

"Whattaya doin' heah." She said it more as a statement, not a question. Her eyes roved over our group and settled on me. "An' wid her? Trousahs! Guys, Trousahs is back! C'mere, hurry!" A whole bunch of newsies came running into the front room.

"Trousahs!" A little boy of about six or seven came bolting towards me. _Aw… how cute._ I thought, bending down to receive the child, even though I had no idea who he was, or why he was calling me Trousers. He hugged me very tightly then pulled away. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, something I felt I hadn't done in years. Little kids were just so cute. "I missed ya. Guess how old I turned while you was gone?" I was confused, but I tried not to let my face show it. _While I was gone? While I was gone wheah?_

"I dunno. How old?" I asked curiously.

"Seven! Ise seven now. Can you believe it?"

"Wow. Dat's a big numbah. I bet ya excited about dat, huh?"

He nodded vigorously. "Oh, boy, am I evah!" He grabbed my hand and hauled me toward the next room. I willingly followed, glancing over my shoulder to see Cheat glaring at me. _I told ya da udda day dat I wasn't gonna be ordahed around. An' what hahm can come from hangin' out wid a little kid? _

"Wheah ahe we goin'? I asked the ecstatic child.

"Tah da roof." He resumed propelling me forward.

"Ya cute, kid, ya know dat?"

"So I been told." He laughed. "How ya been? How dey been treatin' ya ovah dere? Prolly not very nice." He commented darkly.

"Well, I t'ink dey been treatin' me fine. I don't remembah much a anyt'ing anymoah." He scowled up at me.

"Ya don't look fine. C'mere." He pulled me in a different direction then knocked on a door. "Trousahs comin' t'rough guys." Then he barged through it, me in tow.

"Trousahs!" They all shouted happily at different times. I caught my reflection in the mirror and had to double take. _Dat's me?_

"My goodness. I'm a train wreck!"

"Wese seen worse afore." Someone commented. I looked over at the kid who was showing me around, panicked.

"Get me outta heah. I don't wanna see anymoah." My face was all swollen and blotchy with bruises; a scar ran diagonally across my cheek down to my jaw. The rest of my body was probably much, much worse, considering how much I was still smarting all over. He dragged me away.

"'Bye, Trousahs! See ya latah, Sneak!" Some of the boys called out as we exited.

"I'll show ya your old room if ya want." I shrugged. It felt like I should know this place inside and out, like the back of my hand. I layed down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling, sunlight streaming across my face. I shut my eyes and slung my arm across them, trying to filter through the black haze surrounding my mind. Some huge block of time was missing—all but a day and a half—and I was guessing it was important.

"Hey, Trous?" Sneak asked hesitantly.

"Why do people keep callin' me dat? Wheah did it come from? An' who is dis Spot kid dat ev'ry body keeps talkin' about?" He gaped at me, shocked. But for his age he handled it well.

"Doubt! Sling! Some'in's happened tah Trousahs! Help!" He scrambled from the room, tripping and nearly falling flat on his face in the process. "Sl—ing! He yelled down the stairs. "Tro—us!" He screamed back up the stairs. "Trous—Trousahs! I—it's Cheat! He—he's beatin' up Doubt! An' no one's helpin' her! Dey's gonna try tah take ovah!" He shouted while trying to catch his breath. I scrambled from my position, grimacing as I jolted my injured ribs once more. I stomped down the stairs.

"Cheat! Knock it off!" I bellowed, breaking through the guys holding back the crowd that lived in this lodging house. I smacked his face, avoiding his flailing limbs and trying to extract the girl called Doubt. "You okay, sweetie?" I glared up at Cheat after making sure she was okay and slapped him again. He retreated quickly, considering he couldn't hit me back in my current condition, holding his hands up in surrender. "Don't you _evah_ hit a goil again, got it! When ya do dat, youse jus' a cowahd! I nevah—fah as long as I live, want tah see ya hit a goil, evah again! Now, let's leave." I turned on my heel and almost all of the Williamsburg newsies hurried after me, scared of what I might do to them.

* * *

><p>Doubt's POV<p>

"Hey, Sneak, did you notice anyt'ing weird about Trousahs tahday?" I asked him, speaking around my swollen mouth and sitting down at the foot of his bed.

"Yeah. She asked me how come people kept callin' her Trousahs an' wheah it came from, and who Spot was. Dat was when I ran downstaihs tah tell ya, but youse was gettin' beat up."

"Huh… Okay, well t'anks fah tellin' me. Dat helps a little, in figahrin' out what's wrong wid her." I left the room and muttering to myself. "An' why she ran out on us tahday. It's like she don't even know who she is or we is, either."

* * *

><p>Trouser's POV<p>

I woke up earlier than the rest of the boys and took another bath, this one quick as I didn't want an encounter like yesterday. I walked to the distribution center and grabbed fifty papes. I was going to challenge myself today. I don't know how I did it, but in thirty minutes I had all of my papers sold. I went back for more. If I kept it up, I was going to have more money than I knew what to do with. I think it was because I was a girl and people felt sorry for me because of my injuredness. I kept going back for more until the afternoon edition. I bought one hundred and fifty papers. There was no sign of Cheat and his posse, which I thought odd, but they were probably off picking on some poor little kid. I finished selling and decided I was tired, so I trudged back to the lodging house and layed down on what I had begun to call my bunk. I started dozing off only to be reawakened by rude, unmannered boys.

"Up!" Cheat yelled towards me. Then more generally, "Start packing! We move out, tonight!" I stared at him confusedly.

"What is youse talkin' about?"

"Don't worry, sweethaht." I shot a glare at him. "Jus' pack up ya t'ings an' fallah us. Ev'ryt'ing'll woik out."

"Don't you evah call me sweethaht again. Got it?" I turned away and began gathering my measly belongings—a tattered green and white plaid shirt and brown pants that I just couldn't get rid of for some strange reason, a ring I had just discovered in my shoe that had _Forever and Always _engraved on the inside of the silver band. _Cute, _I thought, _I wondah who it's from._ And a slingshot and a blade. _Dat's odd. Why don't it have a handle?_

I followed Cheat and his little procession for quite some time lagging behind in the back before shoving my way up to the front. "Please tell me we ain't goin' wheah I t'ink wese goin'."

"I told ya not tah worry. I got it all undah control." I rolled my eyes.

"Suah ya do. Now, wheah we headed?" He halted beside me and held his hands out as if framing something between them. My gaze drifted to the building in front of us. My eyebrows shot up into my hairline, and I pursed my lips in anger. Cocking my head to the side, I swiveled it towards Cheat. "Oh, so dis is what ya call 'undah control,' huh?" He chuckled nervously and I glared up at him waiting for an answer. He never replied and I kept impatiently scrutinizing him. He shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "You bettah run boy. You bettah run." I lunged toward him, ignoring the aching pain that crawled up my body with the gesture. He shot off like a bullet. I walked the rest of the way into the house where I was met with chaos. _Unbelievable. What'd ya do dis time, Cheat?_ I shook my head at the scene in front of me. Putting my fingers to my mouth, I let out an ear splitting whistle. "Hush up, ev'ry one a ya!" People stopped mid-punch, mid-kick. A boy released someone he had in a headlock and was about to pummel, and so they tumbled to the ground. "Now what's goin' on heah? I want ordah now!" They all straightened up. "Who's in chahge heah?" Sneak stepped forward and I laughed. "You can't be in chahge. Ya too little." He scowled.

"Well, I'm seven. What's so little 'bout dat?"

"I didn't mean nuttin' by it." I said still smiling. I reached out and ruffled his hair, making his scowl deeper.

"Doubt was in chahge, but I don't t'ink she's gonna be very helpful anymoah. So I guess dat leaves Slingshot in chahge now." This kid was too mature for his age. A young teenage girl stepped out of the crowd.

"Dat would be me."

"Awright. Slingshot an' I is gonna talk alone. Da rest a ya ahe gonna clean up dis mess. If I heah any noise at all, all a youse is gonna be sorry." I led Slingshot out by her arm. "How do wese get tah da roof?"

"Da easiest way is t'rough ya room. I can show ya, if ya want." Without waiting for a response, she led me away. I trailed her wordlessly out the window, up the fire escape and onto the cool, breezy roof.

"So why's awl dis happenin'?"

"Well 'cause ya pal, Cheat, stahted dis when he was 'bout nine. Ain't nobody but you an' Spot evah messed wid him since."

"How do we fix it?"

"Now dat, dat's up tah youse. If we knew, we wouldn't be in dis mess." She sighed. "I don't know how tah handle dis."

"So dat's why I'm on my own."

"Yep, looks like it. 'Course we'll awl be heah fah moral support."

I smiled weakly. "Thanks." Slingshot left and I pondered my predicament for a bit, became bored and then came down from the roof. I proceeded to wander around my room—or at least people kept telling me it was mine. I stepped on a loose floorboard and pried it open, finding a wad of cash. _Looky heah. Somebody's got a lotta dough saved up. _Walking out into the hallway, I saw a head bobbing past the stairs.

"Hey, Sneak! What's up?"

"Tryin' tah figah out how tah help ya."

"Aw, t'anks." I went over and hugged him. "Hey, I got a question fah ya."

"'Kay. Shoot."

"Has anyone else lived in my room?"

"No. Jus' you."

"Oh. Awrighty den." _So all dat must be mine. _I hopped down the stairs two at a time and just ambled around. I reached a bridge of which I couldn't see the end. Leaning over the edge, I screamed at the top of my lungs. _That was fun._ I continued along only to find myself at another lodging house. _How many a dese ahe dere?! Dere's gotta be hundreds!_ I knocked on the door and an elderly man answered. His face lit up in surprise.

"Well fancy that boys. Look who finally decided to pay us a visit. Well come in, Trousers, don't just stand there." He curled his arm around my shoulders and led me in. A short Italian boy waddled up to me.

"Hey dere, Trousahs. Long time no see. How 'bout a round a cahds?" I patted my pockets ruefully.

"Aw, sorry tah letcha down but I ain't got no money. An' I don't know how tah play." At this point all the boys in the room turned to stare at me and the Italian in front of me stood with his mouth agape, a look of shock on his face.

"Who is you an' what 'ave you done wid Trousahs?"

"Uh, I dunno who I is an' me name ain't Trousahs. Why does ev'ry one keep callin' me dat?"

"Hey, Kelly!" A handsome kid with curly brown hair called. "Get down heah, wouldja?" An older boy wearing a cowboy hat and bandana stomped down the stairs. A kid of about twelve lagged behind him.

"Well whattaya guys doin' not tellin' me she was heah?" His eyes met mine from across the room. "How's Spot? You guys writin' each udda non-stop?"

"Was Spot an' me a t'ing? 'Cause apparently dere's a lot I missed out on." Now it was Kelly's turn to stare confusedly.

"What's wrong wid her Race? Mush? Kloppman? Anybody know what's goin' on heah?" He asked in a whining, confused voice as he turned his attention to the older man who had answered the door. "What should we do?"

"I say we call a doctah, y'know?" the Italian one commented.

"Should we Kloppman? I mean, will it help?"

"You could try."

"Good idea. Hey, Les, do you an' Boots wanna go 'head an' find Doc Cahhaht?"

"Oh, boy, would we!" He looked filled with pride and ran off to get this Boots character.

The doctor arrived and steered me into the kitchen, where only Kloppman, Kelly and a kid with an eye patch joined us. I was situated on the counter, a cool glass of water in my hand and four pairs of eyes focused on me.

"What is your name?" The interrogation began.

"Well, Cheat said it was Angah. But ev'ry one else keeps callin' me Trousahs. An' I dunno why."

"Hmm." She jotted something down. "Where were you born?"

"Here?" I stated it more as a question.

"And who were your parents?"

"Um, I don't remember anything afore two days ago. I woke up in a bunkroom filled with boys. The doctor there said I had broken ribs and he had just removed the stitches from my head. An' I sold papahs yestahday an' tahday. Yestahday, Cheat came heah an' tried tah soak dis one goil, an' I stopped him. Den, he did it widdout my knowin' an' he's at a lodgin' house in Brooklyn. Also, ev'ry one keeps askin' me how Spot is. I don't know who Spot is. Well, I do, but I don't know what makes him so important."

At the end of my spiel the kid with the eye patch blurted, "What's wrong wid her, Doc? Why can't she remembah anyt'ing! What's me name, Trousahs?"

"Eye patch?" I looked at him hopefully and he groaned in response.

"Ev'ryt'ing's gone? Not a stitch a mem'ry!" He slouched against the wall as his good eye welling up with water.

"I-Ise sorry. I didn't want tah cause trouble. I only wanted tah cleah me head an' my feet took me heah. I don't even know wheah I am."

"I know what's wrong with her." The pretty, plump woman spoke up. "She has amnesia. I believe its long term memory loss, not short term. This means she has to re-learn everything about her past."

I left shortly after that, with Kid Blink, Jack, Racetrack and Mush. I had been re-introduced to everybody, and was on the receiving end of many pitiful stares. According to the four of them, before my accident I was closest to Racetrack—he preferred me calling him Race—, Kid Blink—he told me to call him Blink—and Mush out of the Manhattan newsies. Jack claimed he was just along for the ride. We arrived back at the Brooklyn lodging house. Unlike last time I entered it, everything was spit-spot, not a soul to be seen. _Good. Dey listened._

"Listened tah what?" Blink asked me.

"Oh, did I say dat out loud? Listened tah me. I told 'em I wanted 'em tah clean dis place up an' quit fightin' each udda."

"Why was dey fightin' each udda?" Race responded, laying out his cards on the living room floor. He claimed he was going to teach me how to play poker.

"I dunno. I feel like it had tah do wid Cheat." They all shuddered at the name. "Why do ya always have tah do dat when I say his name?"

"Well, Trousahs." Everyone was trying to get me used to being called Trousers. "He neahly killed ya. Twice when you was eight an' den again when you was nine. An' now… Well, I t'ink dat's why ya missin' most a ya mem'ry. Is 'cause he almost killed ya again." Jack had mysteriously disappeared.

"Oh. Well, now I see. Can we play pokah now?" He layed out the rules of the game and dealt the cards.

"Now, dis is moah like da Trousahs I know. Nevah one tah turn down a good game."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A few months passed and then some more. Nothing important happened except Cheat kept most of Brooklyn under lock and key. Apparently the one called Jack had irked Cheat, so he sent a few of his birds to wreak havoc on any borough brave enough to stand up to him.

"C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!" Sneak and Slingshot shouted at me in unison from my doorway. We were going out somewhere they just wouldn't tell me where. Of course, this was against Cheat's wishes, but all three of us were okay with it.

"Almost ready!" I grunted slipping on my right boot. I had just awoken from a nap and so sleep was still fogging my brain. "Okay, wese good!" I informed them as I grabbed my hat from my dressers. "Wheah we goin'?" I asked for about the thousandth time. Both of them remained looking straight ahead. "Guess not." We continued through the streets getting jostled along with the mid-afternoon crowd. People wore little American flag pins on their collars or breast pockets. Women hurried about, bustling in and out of shops buying last minute food items for celebrations tonight. Children darted between the throngs of people, shouting and screaming and making a hubbub over their new-fangled pinwheels. We reached our destination and there was more people than I was used to even though I lived in the city. There was a giant ship that loomed ever bigger as we shoved our way through the gatherers. Being newsies, we didn't have much trouble finding a way up to the front and making room for ourselves. We waited for one man that Sneak and Slingshot knew and that I was supposed to remember quite fondly, or so I'd been told.

"Spot! Spot!" They yelled over the increasing noise. His face lit up once he saw them. He struggled through the clusters of people weeping over returned husbands and sons.

"Hey, kid. Happy late boithday." He handed Sneak a brown package.

"But youse awready gave me a present fah me last one."

"Oh well. Keep it." He smiled. "Hey, Sling. Well, ain't youse looking even moah like a little lady dan when I last saw youse? How old is youse now? Fifteen?"

"Yep. Just toined actually." She grinned widely.

"Den I believe dis is due. Sorry 'bout dat. Couldn't have it shipped in time."

"Oh, Spot! It's beautiful!" She pulled a pretty looking necklace from a small box. It was a delicate chain with turquoise and purple stones embedded along it at equal distances.

"Well, let's head back home, shall wese?" He said hello to me and swept my hand up in his. I flinched and immediately snatched it away. He tried again. "What's wrong wid ya, Trous? Ain'tcha happy tah see me?"

"Happy tah see ya? I just metcha!" He looked at me, a bewildered expression on his face.

"What is youse talkin' about? Wese known each udda since you was foah an' I was five."

"Well, apparently I lost me mem'ry. I don't remembah anyt'ing past last Septembah."

"Ise sorry tah heah dat. Maybe dis'll help ya remembah." He leaned in closer than he already was.

"Whattaya doin'?!" I pushed him away, my hands briefly making contact with his solid chest. I stomped away, trying to get as far away from him as possible without making him feel worse. He caught up pretty quickly.

"Ise sorry! I t'ought it might help. Don't be mad." He stared at me pleadingly. "Please?" I rolled my eyes.

"Spot, don't. I don't cahe what we had afore. Tah me, youse a strangah. I jus' met youse. Jus' wait 'till me mem'ry returns." I began running at that point, knocking into people and ignoring their cries of indignation. I made good time on the way back to the lodging house, slamming doors in my wake. I flung myself down on my bed, hugging my pillow. A few tears slipped from my eyes. Tears for my lost remembrances and in honor of the life that had been shattered by one person. The person who had given me what this Carheart doctor woman called 'amnesia'. As my eyes dried, a new feeling took the place of my sadness and frustration. Resentment. I was going to find out who it was that did this to me, and then I'd… Then I'd… Well, at this point I didn't know what I was going to do. I was just going to have to cross that bridge when it came down to it. A knock sounded at my door.

"Who is it?" I asked through a stuffy nose. The door opened and Spot popped in. I rolled my eyes.

"Whattaya want?"

"I just wanted to apologize fah oilier. But ya gotta remembah I didn't have any idea."

"Yes, you did! I told ya! I fahgive ya fah holdin' me hand, but ya tried tah kiss me even aftah ya knew!" He was silent for quite some time. When he did finally speak again, it was with quiet determination.

"I'm sorry 'bout dat. I-I jus' haven't had any contact wid ya at all in a yeah. I missed ya. Still do." He lifted his gaze and glanced at my finger. "Y'see dat ring? Evah wondahed who gave it tah ya?" I nodded and inspected the ring once more.

"It's beautiful."

"I t'ought ya'd like it. _Fahevah an' Always_ is what's engraved on da inside." I peeked over at him through my lashes and studied his face. It was handsome and boyish. He had blue eyes and brown hair that flopped onto his forehead. He was tall and tan and muscular.

"How'd ya know dat?"

"I bought it. Gave it tah ya two Christmases ago. It's a promise ring."

"Oh. Well t'ank ya." I pushed myself up from the bed and gave him a hug. He stiffened for a couple seconds then hugged me back. I could feel him playing with the end of my pushed back hair. I tried to extract myself from his embrace, to no avail. "Um… Spot? Can I go now?" I had no clue what I was going to do, but I just had to get out of here. It seemed like that's all I'd been doing lately was getting out of the places I was in.

"Oh. Sorry." He backed away and I darted out of there as quickly as I could without being rude, heading to my most favorite place in the world.

* * *

><p>"See ya latah, Puckett." I said clapping my buddy on the back and pulling him into an embrace as we shook hands.<p>

"Take care, Conlon." He smiled at me and we went our separate ways, not knowing if we'd ever see each other again; however, both of us lived in Brooklyn, so it was quite possible that I'd sell him a paper every once in a while. I scanned the crowds searching for someone I loved. I spotted a red headed girl and began towards her. Two other people were gathered around her, shouting my name and waving madly. I handed Sneak his present under the pretense that I'd forgotten to give him one for his last birthday.

"Oh well. Keep it." I turned to Slingshot. "Well ain't youse lookin' even moah like a little lady den you did da last time I saw ya? How old ahe ya now? Fifteen?" she smiled proudly.

"Just toined actually." I pulled out a paper package, handing it over and explaining that I couldn't have it shipped in time for her birthday. Finally it was time to leave. Trousers and I lagged behind. I laced my fingers through hers only to have her pull away abruptly. _Okay. Did I do some'in' wrong?_ _How much trouble could I be in awready? Is she mad dat I didn't get her a present?_ I shot her an odd look and tried again, with the same results.

"Whassa mattah, Trous? Ain'tcha happy tah see me?" She looked at me confounded.

"Whattaya talkin' about? I just met ya, how could I be happy tah see ya?" I knew I was happy to see her. All I could focus on was the fact that she was standing in front of me and that she was back from last years little run in with Cheat, unscathed. Her lips were moving but I didn't comprehend the words that were coming out. _Wait, just met me?_

"What? Wese known each udda since you was foah an' I was five."

"Well, apparently, I lost me mem'ry." _Ah, so she t'inks she's crazy now._ "I don't remembah a t'ing since afore last Septembah." Her words tumbled in one ear and out the other, not making an impression on my mind.

"Ise sorry tah heah dat. Maybe dis'll help ya remembah." I leaned in and gave her a hug. Thinking anout all the times she'd been hurt and come to me for help instead of one of the other boys and that she thought of me as her best friend, I felt a strong surge of emotion. Lost in the moment and only thinking about how happy I was to be holding her again, I bent closer to kiss her.

"Whattaya doin'?!" Her hands flew to my chest to push me away, a look of anger on her face.

"Hey, hey, hey. Ise sorry. I t'ought it might help. Don't be mad at me…Please?"

"Spot, don't. I don't cahe what we had afore. Tah me, youse a strangah. I just met youse, so, please, just wait till me mem'ry returns." I thought she was going to wait for me to respond, _what's da mattah wid her? Just 'cause she t'inks she's crazy an' pretends like she don't want me tah kiss her don't mean she's gotta be mad at me,_ but instead she ran away back to the lodging house. I sighed and proceeded to make my way through the clusters of people, my pack slung over my shoulder. I unpacked in my room, right next to Trousers closed door. I flopped down on my bed and spread my arms out on either side of me. It felt so good to be home! I decided I should go find out what was wrong with Trousers. I knocked quietly on the door.

"Who is it?" a pinched voice came from the other side._ Has she been cryin'? Is I da one dat made her?_ I walked through the door and was met with an eye roll and a hostile, "Whattaya want?"

"I jus' wanted tah apologize fah oilier. But ya gotta remembah date I didn't have any idea."

"Yes, you did! I fahgive ya fah tryin' tah hold me hand, but ya tried tah kiss me even aftah ya knew!" Knew what? I studied the ground and thought back to the conversation we'd had earlier. _"Well, apparently, I lost me mem'ry." Okay, so she just thinks she we insane…Right? "Tah me youse a strangah. Jus' wait 'till me mem'ry returns." So, wait until you got ya marbles back? "I don't remembah anyt'ing past last Septembah" Last Septembah? Date was a month aftah I left. Gah! I shoulda put moah effort intah findin' her afore I left! So she doesn't just think she lost it. She_ did_ lose it._ "I-I'm sorry about dat. I just' haven't had any contact wid ya in a yeah. I miss ya. Still do." I looked at her ring. "Y'see date ring? Evah wondah who gave it tah ya?" She nodded.

"It's beautiful."

"T'ought ya'd like it. _Fahevah an' Always_ is what's engraved on the inside."

"How'd ya know dat?'

"'Cause I bought it fah ya. Gave it tah ya two Christmases ago. It's a promise ring."

"Oh. Well t'ank ya." She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around my neck. I circled my hands around her waist and hugged her tight, burrowing my head in her neck. I played with the ends of her hair. I liked it when she wore my headband, and not just because I made it for her. I kept the hair out of her face so people could see it. It also made her look young and innocent—not that she wasn't, but it made her appear so too. _That Cheat_, I seethed. _He stole my Trousahs from me._ I hugged her tighted, glad that she was home now, regardless of her memory. _I'm gonna make. Him. Pay. He ain't gonna get away dis time._

"Uh…Spot?"

"Mm?"

"Can I go now?"

"Oh, Sorry." I released her and stared at her retreating figure. She would be under my watch all time, no matter the time or place. One of my birds would follow her wherever she went. Two at that, to prevent something like this from happening again.

* * *

><p>Jacky! I shouted upon entering No. 9 Duane Street. "Wheah is he?"<p>

"Well, nice to see ya back, Spot." Racetrack said sarcastically. "Have a good time?" He was in a corner playing poker with Mush and Blink. Melody was watching from next to Blink. Kloppman had long since given up on trying to get his lodgers to stop gambling.

"Wheah is he?" I repeated, ignoring Race. "Jack! Hey, Kelly! Get ya lousy self sown heah!" Losing all the patience I had,I stormed up the stairs searching left and right for him. I found him in the bunk room, asleep. I grabbed hold of his mattress and flipped him off it. He hit the ground with a loud thud then sprung up like he'd been stung by something.

"Whattaya doing'?! I was sleeping' heah!"

"Yeah, yeah. Use gots some'in I needs yah talk yah ya about." His face lit up in surprise, as if he'd just remembered something.

"Hey Conlon! Happy rah be back?" I rolled my eyes. There's were more important matters at hand. Couldn't people think of anything else to ask?

"Yeah, it's great. I come home tab a goil friend dat don't remember me, no one wants tah look me in da eye and Cheat took oval me position! I'm totally happy tah be back! Especially since I come home from one war only to fight anudda."

"So? Haven't ya read a fairytale befoah? Just kiss 'er. It's at least woith a shot. An' Cheat? Da only reason he took ovah was 'cause dere wasn't no one strongah den him dere. All youse gotta do is take'im out. Fah good dis time dough. We don't need anudda incident like Peppah or Trousahs."

"Yeah, Ise know. He's already soaked Doubt and Sling at least once. An' awl da udda kids ahe too scahed tah try tah help beat 'im. I t'ink dey remembah da deal wid Peppah an' dey don't wanna end up like dat."

"Hmm. I don't wanna make dis a awl out newsie war just yet, cause its still just in Brooklyn an' Cheat hasnt been dat much a a threat tah da udda boroughs. Maybe if ya could find out why he's doing' dis an' den work it out from dere?"

"Oh, good idea Kelly, I'll just waltz up tah him an' ask 'I'm what his problem is. Dat's gonna work real well."

"Well, it's woith a try. Ya nevah know. But not like dat. Have a civil convahsation wid him. No threats, no nuttin'. An' on dat note..." he said buttoning up his shirt and snapping on his suspenders, "Ise got a date wid Cowgoil. See ya latah."

"Have fun." I said leaving for Brooklyn. It was now sunset so I had to hurry. I didn't want tone out too late, even though I wasn't worried or nervous about if I was gonna be ganged up on or not. I opened the door to my room only to be met with someone already occupying it. "What da?-Cheat!" He whirled around and smiled evilly.

"Oh, hey, Spot. Like my woik?"

"Get out."

" Aww, ickle Spotty don't like dat someone else got da powah?"

"Nah, I don't cahe if somebody else got da powah... I just cahe dat it's youse. An' anyways, youse ain't got da powah, ovah half a dese newsies heah ahe loyal tah me. As fah as Ise concoined, Ise da one wid da powah."

"Ah, ah, ah. You ain't got no one else runnin' Brooklyn. So derefore, it's mine."

"Whattaya doin' heah? Whattaya want from me?"

"Ise want da powah. Remembah ten yeahs ago? Dat fight? Yeah, I won dat faith an' squaih."

"How, exactly?"

"'Cause I got injured. Ya won by default." I shot him a confused look.

"Uh... Dat was da deal. If youse got hit ya were disqualified."

"Whatevah. Eithah way I still won."

I said the first stupid thing that popped into my head. "Wanna rematch?" I hit myself in the head when his back was turned. _Idiot! Ya see da size a dis guy? He's gonna squash ya, kill ya, at dat rate! Whattaya thinkin?_ I rolled my eyes at myself.

"Yeah, are match would be nice. An' we can get Racetrack tah referee. 'Membah him, remembah Racetrack?"

I laughed humorlessly. "Yeah I remembah him. How could I not, da loudmouth?"

"Chh... Yeah da loudmouth." There Cheat and I were, bantering like the old days, when Lacey was still in command and nothing had come between us yet, both of us mine years old, and innocent. Suddenly, I remembered who I was and the situation I was in.

"Okay, so get out. Dis is still my borough." I gave him my most menacing glare, waiting for him to budge. I thought I saw him flinch, just barely.

"No."What did he just say? No one defies Spot Conlon!] He stared me down, waiting for me to show my first sign of weakness. I glanced out the window and sighed. It was pitch black outside.

"Y'know what? Dis is stupid. Let's so dis tahmarrah. No one gets tah sleep in da room tah night. He smirked at me. _Uh oh. Dat can nevah be good. I should know, I'm da king a da smirks._

"Okay Spot. No one gets tah sleep in heah tah night." He walked to the door with me, but as soon as I was though it, he slammed it behind me. "But I ain't a no one, am I? No, Ise da leadaha Brooklyn now!" I frowned and rolled my eyes. _Dis is so stupid. Ise gettin' too old fah dis job._ I walked to the end of the hallway and grabbed some extra blankets and a pillow. Then I trudged down to Trousers room and spread out on the floor beside her bed.

"Whattaya doin'? Do ya usually sleep dere?" She asked sleepily, propping her elbow other bed and resting her head on her fist. I smiled at her.

"Nah, I normally sleep in da room ovah, but Cheats bein' stubbuhn, so's Ise sleepin' in heah fah tah night. Dat okay wid youse?"

"Mm hmm." She smiled faintly and yawned. "Thanks fah askin'." Her head dropped back down onto her pillow. "Oh, an' Spot?"

"Hmm?" I said stifling a yawn.

"Youse a nice guy. Welcome back."

"T'anks. G'night." I smiled to myself and rolled over on my side, falling asleep almost instantaneously.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I woke up early, before the sun was even up. I swung my legs over the side of the bed only to have them hit something. _Dats odd. Usually deres nuttin' dere_. I glanced down to see a peacefully sleeping figure. I got up as quietly as I oculd, avoiding stepping on Spot or any of the loose floorboards I'd discovered. I washed my face with soap and water and then got dressed, putting on some black pants, my boots and an old dark blue shirt that smelled like it had belonged to a boy—in a good way. I headed down to the docks because I knew the distribution center wouldn't be open yet. It probably wasn't safe to be out considering how dark it still was—who knew how many drunks were going to be on their way home from a night out? I took off my boots, stuffed my socks into the toes and threw them on the planks beside me. I rolled up my pant legs and stuck my feet in the water. It was freezing, but it felt good because, regardless of the early hour, it was hot already. I splashed my feet around and just thought. Thinking was always welcome with me. I don't know why I liked it so much; I just did. It felt—normal. Something I hadn't felt in a while, ever since my mind went blank. I thought about who I was and who I used to be and if I was even remotely similar to the girl I was before I got amnesia. I sat there and waited for the sun to rise, but it was taking too long. I got bored and closed my eyes, basking in the quiet I hadn't had in forever.

* * *

><p>I woke up to an empty room, and panicked when I realized I should have already been up and ready to send my birds to keep an eye on her. Then I remembered that the sun wasn't even up yet, so all the trouble that could get to her was inside the lodging house. I got dressed slowly, sneaking clean clothes from my room—I had to be very careful about that as cheat was still sleeping—and dressed in Trousers' room. After that I decided to pay Manhattan another visit. I was going to see if Jack could get me any help with training for my upcoming fight.<p>

00000000000000000000

At the Manhattan Lodging House, I found Jack and talked to him about my predicament.

"Well dat was a stupid move. Whattaya tryin' tah do, get yaself killed? Or worse, lose ya throne?"

"Yeah, I know, shut up, Cowboy. Dats what I gotta ask ya. Can ya help me train fah it? Or at least find someone who can?"

"I got a couple a buddies from da arena dat'd be willin' tah help ya. Sure. Yeah, dat'll woik. I'll ask 'em about it."

"Hey, t'anks. Oh, an' will ya ask Race if he can be da ref? Cheat wants him tah be fah some reason. I guess he's supposed to be impartial." We laughed and he agreed to ask Racetrack for me.

00000000000000000000

I walked to the docks, which I was assuming were still deserted considering the morning edition was just being sold. I saw a figure lying at the end of the boardwalk. Who is dat? Guess I'll find out. I walked down quietly so as not to wake the person if he or she was sleeping. I sat down next to the seemingly asleep Trousers, only to be startled when she broke the silence.

"Heya. How's da lodgin' house? Crazy yet?"

"Actually, no one was up when I left. I told her.

"Hmm... Glad I could be a help?" I laughed and nudged her. She nudged me back a little harder. Our competitiveness turned it into an all out shoving war. We were on our feet, nearly losing our balance until Trousers went overboard. "Spot!" she screamed, I can't swim!" I continued laughing, thinking this was just some ploy to get me to save her from getting wet. My laughter faded as I realized she wasnt surfacing fast enough. _Oh, Lord, not again. _I prayed, _I don't wanna hafta go t'rough dis a second time._ I dived in after her, almost panicking like I had last time. I spotted her almost immediately and dragged her back onto the docks.

"Trousahs?" she groaned and coughed, bringing water up as well. "Oh, t'ank God." I hugged her close. "Well. Ya feel up tah swimmin' lessons?"

"Right now?!" she shrieked.

I nodded. "Why not? Wese both wet awready. Plus dat right dere showed me dat ya don't know how tah swim."

"Yeah, but-"

"No. I'm gonna teach ya how tah swim. Right now." And with that, I tossed her back in the water and jumped in behind her.

"Spot! I awready toldja I can't swim!" she spluttered.

"But look atcha! Ya awready loined how tah tread wadda."

"Ah!" She screamed and grabbed onto the post beside her. "I can't-" she was still trying to catch her breath. "Can't believe ya just did dat tah me." She splashed at me then ducked behind the post so that I couldn't get her back. She was sorely mistaken if she thought a silly little post was going to protect her from Spot Conlon. I shook my head and chuckled to myself. I swam quietly over to the opposite side of the post from Trousers, so that she couldn't see me. I counted silently down till three then splashed around the pole. I expected my ambush to be met with a scream or something, at least.

"What da...?" I went over to the other side of the pole and was surprised to find Trousers grinning at me.

"Gotcha!" she shouted and smirked even wider as she jumped on me, making both of us go under.

I came up laughing. "Dat... Dat was a good one, I hafta say. Well done, Trous." She was hanging onto the post again.

"Why thank you." she said in a hoity-toity accent she had a tendency to use when she was making fun of the rich people we so often sold to. It must have been a coincidence that she used it now, because I doubt she'd have remembered just that from before the incident.

"Awright, c'mere." she shook her head vigorously and hugged the pole tighter. I sighed and swam over to her, gently prying her arms away. "Okay, now ya know how tah tread wadda. Ya just gotta kick ya legs an' move ya ahms t'rough da wadda... Like dis. Good job." we practiced like that for a while until she falt comfortable doing it on her own. "I'm gonna let go now, okay?" she nodded her head slowly, still concentrating on staying above water. "Now wese gonna woik on da forward movement, so dat youse can actually swim." I swam next to her and directed her to look at me. "So, whatcha gotta do is ya gotta just- see how youah movin' ya ahms? It's almost like dat same motion, but like dis." I demonstrated for her. "Y'see? Now you try." I watched her attempt and nearly laughed out loud, catching myself just in time. I shook my head. "No, not like dat." I moved behind her and moved her arms in the way they were supposed to be.

"Oh, okay. Like dis?"

"Bettah, bettah. Good. 'Kay, now what I need ya tah do is float on ya stomach."

"What?! How do youse expect tah do dat?"

"Simple." I began swimming circles around her.

"Hey! Dat ain't faih!" she was trying to spin around and watch me , probably to make sure I wouldn't trick her.

"Whoa dere. Don't hit youse self." I caught her by the shoulders and she clung onto me.

"Ya did good tahday, goil. Ya did... Good." I said slowly. I heard her breath catch in her throat and tilted my head to the side curiously. Our lips were inches apart now, the gap between us closing fast. _No. _I stopped myself. _Ya can't. She still don't remembah. It'd be taken advantage a her._

Quickly, I cleared my throat and backed away. "Well, I, uh, t'ink dat's enough swimming fah da day. We can keep goin tahmarrah, if ya want. Or I could teach ya how tah fight. Ya don't gotta decide right now." I said climbing out of the water. "C'mon." I helped her out and we walked home in the rain in silence.

* * *

><p>Spot was behind me, moving my arms in the position they were supposed to be. It felt good to be held like this, familiar somehow, like it was supposed to be this way.<p>

"What?! How do youse expect me tah do dat?"

"Simple." he shrugged and began showing off.

"Hey! Dat ain't faih!" I struggled to keep an eye on him. I was beginning to slip under when he grabbed my shoulders to steady me. I was tired-we'd been doing this for a few hours at least. I hung onto him, so that he was the one holding us up. Being this close to him- I don't know what he did to me, but I could barely even think straight. I closed my eyes and when I opened them are lips were about to meet. I quickly shut my eyes again. My thoughts were interrupted by a gruff noise.

"Well, I, uh, t'ink dat's enough swimmin' fah tahday. We can keep goin' tahmarrah if ya want. Or I could teach ya how fight. Ya don't gotta decide right now. C'mon." he said and pulled me out of the water. I was freezing on the way home, especially since it was raining, and my thoughts kept going back to the almost kiss and what would have happened if it took place.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

At dinner, I was sneezing. At breakfast, I was even worse.

"Oh, honey, youah burnin' up." Slingshot told me. I coughed and then sniffed.

"Honey? Since when do youse call people dat?"

"You gotta go lay down. No sellin' fah ya tahday." she ignored my question.

"No, I'm gonna sell. I gotta."

"No, ya don't. Not tahday."

"Yes, I-" she grabbed the sleeve of a passing Spot.

"Spot. Tell her she don't gotta sell tahday,"

"Well, a course she does. She's a newsie ain't she?" and with that he started to walk away.

"Ha. Toldja." I gloated.

"Hold on a minute, wouldja?" she turned to Spot, grabbed his hand and pressed it against my forehead.

"Whattaya tryin' tah do?! Burn me?" he shouted at Slingshot then chuckled.

"See what I'm sayin'?"

"Stay heah. You ain't gonna be sellin'."

"But-"

"Final ordahs. In fact, just so's I make sure youse obey, I'll stay heah wid ya."

"T'ank you, Spot." I mumbled sarcastically. I went upstairs to my room, like a scolded little child. As soon as I hit the pillow, my lights were out like that.

00000000000000000000

I woke up to find two hot bowls of soup next to me. _Why ahe dere two?_ My internal question was answered when I looked up to find someone extremely close to my face, wearing a blank expression.

"Hi." he said. I jumped and once I realized what had happened, I broke down laughing.

"Spot." I said through my laughter, "Don't do dat tah me. Ya do dat too often. An' ya might as well just say 'Boo'. May have da same effect."

"Well, it's funny, udda wise I wouldn't do it. Plus youse a good sport about it, so I'm suah dat ya can't mind too much." He chuckled. " I made dis fah ya." I sat up and he handed me a bowl with a spoon. He took his own and sat on the end of my bed, making himself comfortable.

"Well glad ya feel at home." I said, rolling my eyes. He leaned over and felt my forehead.

"Still not doin' too good. Feel okay? Or do ya feel as bad as ya temp'rature is?"

"I feel miserable. It kinda feels like Ise dyin'."

He raised an eyebrow. "Ya've has woise. Trust me on dat one."

We ate in quietness for a few minutes.

"Spot?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me about ya past." He sighed

"Wheah tah staht? Let's see... I was born in '83. In '88 I became a orphan."

"How?"

"Well, do ya-? Nevah mind, ya wouldn't remembah. Dere was dis blizzahd-huge-da biggest I evah seen! Lasted fah three days straight. I was trapped inside my house fah a week. My parents had gone out tah buy groceries fah us tah eat. I don't know why dey didn't take me wid dem wid me bein' five an' awl. Maybe I was sick or sleepin' or some'in'. Oh, no, ise remembah. Ise was sick, I had da chicken pox. I heard da rain come down, den all of a sudden it stopped. I ran tah da front doah tah look outside tah see if me parents were back yet. When I opened da doah, dere were dese terrible winds an' snow was bein' whipped around real fast. I ran outside an' played in it till I got cold. I stayed cold fah a long time. I waited days an' days fah me parents tah return home. Ev'ry time I tried tah go look fah dem it seemed like da door got hahdah an' hahdah tah peek out of, till I couldn't even open it no moah. I coulda died meself. No food or watah tah drink, I was five, I didn't know how tah make anyt'ing, me parents handed me ev'ryt'in' I needed tah live. Dey was good tah me. Didn't hoit me- nevah laid a hand on me, not even tah discipline me. Dere was dis old papah dat me dad hadn't touched yet. Used tah be a newsie dat sold outside ouah doah, an' me of man made suah dat he bought a papah from him ev'ry mornin', noon an' night. Anyways, I took it an' loined tah read from dat. I t'ink I still have it. When da snow melted aftah a week, I found a penny an' bought a papah from a newsie I found when I was lookin' fah me mom an' pop. Da reason I know I was trapped in da house fah a week was 'cause a da date on da two papes. Anyways, I couldn't find me way back tah da house cause I'd nevah been outside widdout me parents afore, so I was livin' on da streets, stealin' food an' papes from da newsies. Nevah got caught once, I was a smaht kid, even at five. One day, I stole a papah from dis kid, an' it toined out tah be a special edition. Listed da names a awl da people dat died in New Yawk. Me parents was on it, dats how I knew deys was really dead. I didn't want tah believe it afore I saw it in writin'. I followed a newsie home one day, 'cause I figahed dey could gimme a nice, payin' job. So, dey- or should I say deir leadah- took me in, an' I been a newsie evah since."

"Hmm, okay. How did we meet?"

He chuckled. "It was a few months aftah da blizzahd, I t'ink summah, an' I was bettah from me chicken pox. I finished sellin' me papes extra oiley dat day. I was sellin' in dis Irish neighbahhood, don't know why I picked it, but I did. I decided tah take a nap, so I settled down against a wall an' fell asleep. Da only reason I woke up was cause a youse. Ya tripped ovah me an' den ya showed me how tah play hide an' seek. We grew up tahgethah, an' aftah ya parents an' family died in a fiah, ya became one a us. Ya kinda awready were, but ya just were moah accepted intah da group den."

"It's weird hearin' about ya past from someone else. Youse should be da one tellin' it tah uddas, not dem tellin' it tah youse."

"I agree. Ya have Cheat tah thank fah dat."

I gasped. "I'll kill 'im! Da little slug!"

"Easy now. Eat ya soup, an' don't worry about it. I'll take cahe a ev'ryt'in'."

"How? I'd like tah get me hands doity, too."

"Don't worry ya pretty little head." We slurped our soup again in more silence until I broke it once more.

"How'd ya get ya name? Did ya parents name ya Spot, or what?"

He laughed. "No, a course me parents named me Spot. Dey always wanted a kid named dat." I looked at him funny. "Dats me nickname, silly. Parents named me Michael. 'Membah how I told ya I had da chicken pox when me parents died?"

"Mm hmm." I nodded.

"Well, when I followed da newsie home dat day, I met deir leadah. Name was Lacey. She had a little sistah, a couple yeahs old. When she saw me, she said, 'Look, Sissy! He has spots all ovah him!' I wouldn't tell anyone my name, don't know why, so ev'ry one stahted callin' me what Lacey's little sistah did. Spots. 'Cept they shortened it tah Spot cause dey-actually, I t'ink it was you- didn't like da 's' on da end. "

I yawned. "Awright. Dats interestin'." I yawned again. Spot felt my forehead again.

"Still hot." He took our bowls downstairs, and came back up with a wet cloth. "I'm gonna go tah Manhattan now, I'll check on ya latah." He pressed the cloth to my forehead, almost kissed my cheek, remembered he shouldn't, blew out my lamp and left.

* * *

><p><strong>The origin of Spot's nickname is courtesy of my good friend, Eric (who, coincidentally looks like Spot). Because he's original and I suck at coming up with stuff like that. He finally helped me figure it out, with just a simple suggestion, after I'd been trying to come up with it for months, so thank him for that. <strong>


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I had been training for a long month before Cheat named the date of the rematch. It was in a week. All that meant was that I had to train harder than I already was. Along with training, I was also helping to take care of Trousers. She was getting better slowly, finally able to keep down solids. Doctor Carheart told us she had pneumonia, but we all knew it was something less severe. It just wouldn't go away.

At the end of the week's warning Cheat had given me, Trousers was almost all better. She wanted to come see me fight.

"No, Trous. Ya ain't comin'. Ya still got the sniffles, an' a fight ain't no place fah a goil dat ain't accustomed tah dem."

"But Doubt an' Sling an' dem get tah go. An' dey's youngah dan me, Ise t'ink."

"Ya right. But dat don't mean nuttin'. Dey's been dere afore. Dey's used tah it. Youse in youah,uh, new self, ain't nevah been tah one an' I don't wanna corrupt ya."

She rolled her eyes. "Dat's da biggest load a baloney I evah been fed, Spot. I'm comin', an' dat's dat."

I gave her a stern look. "No, youse ain't. Dat's my final say. An' what I say goes, 'cause Ise da leadah." She sighed and walked away.

I awoke with the sun in my face on Saturday morning. _Aw crumbs! _I thought, jumping out of bed and throwing some clothes on. I ran downstairs, hoping to find someone who could take me to Spot's rematch.

"Ah, Sneak. Just da poison I was lookin' foah." I foundhome in the kitchen, attempting to make his own breakfast. Mr. White was standing at the front desk, watching us with his beady little eyes that gave me the chills. I began helping Sneak, doubling the recipe so I could eat too. "So, y'know how Spot's fight is tahday?"

"Mm hmm. Lemme guess, ya want me tah take ya down dere 'cause ya don't know where it is? Well, ya came tah da right poison." H spit in his hand and held it out to me. I returned the gesture, solidifying our deal.

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At noon, Sneak and I threaded our way through the mid-afternoon crowd. Spot's match was at two, so we had a little bit of leeway on getting there on time. Along the way, I bought a few snacks for us to munch in once there. I had to monitor Sneak and keep him from eating out of the stash in his now bulging pockets. He kept up a lively stream of chatter on our journey, sword fighting invisible enemies as well; something Spot told me he'd picked from the younger Manhattan boys.

Finally we arrived at the boxing ring, keeping a careful lookout for Spot or Jack. Sneak wagered that Spot had probably told Jack about how I wasn't supposed to be here. We avoided other newsies-Brooklyn and Manhattan alike-because although few of them knwe about Spot's little dilemma about me not going, we didn't want one of them toslip up and let it be known that I _was_ here.

"C'mere!" Sneak shouted at me. He pointed excitedly to a fire escape. "We can watch from da roof!" I smiled at him and chuckled lightly. It amazed me at how little kids could be happy at even the tiniest things.

"Okay." I said shrugging. "Lend da way." I climbed up behind him and we grabbed a couple if front row seats near the edge of the roof. The match was set to begin in acouple minutes.

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><p>It was two o'clock sharp, the time Cheat had chosen for our battle for power. I was all jittery and anxious, and I couldn't find Trousers anywhere. <em>Well, at least she listened. Dis time. <em>I stepped into the ring, and Jack followed me. He began massaging my shoulders, telling me I had this in the bag. I saw Cheat in the opposite corner, hopping up and down on the balls of his feet, warming up. All my fears melted at the sight. _Whattaya afraid a? I mean look at him. He ain't exactly fightin' material. Da only people he fights ahe shrimps half his size and goils he t'inks he can mess wid. _

_Youah a shrimp half his size. _

I gulped. That was not the voice of reason I needed to be hearing at this moment in time. I pushed the thought away and shook out my fingers and rolled my neck. Then Iwaited, sizing him up time and time again, trying to convince myself I was going to beat him. _Hey, dey don't call ya da King a Brooklyn fah nuttin', do dey? I mean, remembah how ya got tah dat pahsition in da foist place. By beatin' a cowahd like him. 'Course, den he was ya friend, but t'ings have changed. He's just a big weak cowahd who don't know nutting' 'bout fightin'. _Finally, Race layer out the rules and rang the bell that Medda had so kindly lent us. We were so spoiled by her.

Cheat and I began circling one another. _Don't__ make da foist move. Don't do it, Spot, don't do it. Be patient. _I kept repeating in my head. At last, Cheat cracked. He lunged at mew and I sidestepped, knocking him on his face. I kicked him in the gut and he groaned. He scrambled up off the ground. I dodged his blow and counter attacked, landing him on his back. I knelt down and punched him once, twice, three timebore fore he rolled on top of me and put me in a world of pain.

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><p>Towards the end of the fight, Spot looked pretty beat up. Cheat didn't look too much better, but I didnt have as much sympathy for him. I wasn't focusing on the fact that he was the one who had taken away my memory, or that he had hurt people I hadn't wanted him to before Spot came home, I was just focusing on how much different Brooklyn would be under Cheat. Not that I was close to either Spot or Cheat, but Williamsburg had a foreboding atmosphere around it, and Brooklyn Heights had that same feeling when Cheat was in that lodging house. But Spot, he was different. For as little as I knew about him, I could tell he at least cared about his newsies, and not just how powerful he was. He always made sure every one had gotten enough food for a day, and that extra newsies at least had a spare blanket to sleep on if there weren't enough beds. And everyone seemed happier with Spot around, even if he tried to keep up his rough and tumble, threatening demeanor.<p>

Spot was back on the ground again and I had to look away. Some people on the ground thought he was done for, and the ones who had the least hope in him, but werwatch there for Cheat began to walk away. Race was nearly falling over the ropes, yelling at him to get up. Jack was just barely keepinghim from getting into the ring. He knew if Spot didn't finish this himself he would never forgive himself.

"Spot! Get up! C'mon, Spot, I know ya can do it! Finish him, ya bum!" Man, he was one loud Italian. Spot didn't respond, just lay there, squinting through the sun at Cheat's face, as if in a daze. I began to walk away as well, much to the chagrin of the boy who had escorted me here.

"Hey! Wheah ya goin'?! Ya gotta stay an' watch Spot win! He's gotta... I just know it." I glanced at Sneaks fallen face and plopped down on the ground righeh where I'd been standing. The other people who were on the roof looked at me oddly. _What? Can't a goil just do what she wants widdin reason widdout gettin' questioned anymoah? _After a few minutes, I heard a loud ruckus owing from down below. Sneak was yelling my name and urgently motioning for me to come over to him. I sprung up and ran over to the side of the roof, in time to see Spot deliver his winning right hook and send Cheat sailing backwards for the knockout. I screamed in joy. Spot's head swiveled towards our building and I ducked, pulling Sneak down with me. We left soon after Racetrack threw both his and Spot's hands up in the air, to signify Spot as the winner. We had to get back before at least Spot. Preferably before the others too, but mostly Spot.

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><p><em><strong>I believe there is only one more chapter left in this story. Possibly two, but probably one. Unless you guys aren't satisfied with the ending of it. Because I have a few more ideas for Spot and Trousers up my sleeve, but I don't know if I should leave it where it'll be after the last chapter or continue on. I'll leave it up to the readers. :)<strong>_


	16. Chapter 16

I sat on the edge of a bench as Sarah helped clean me up. I conversed with Race, Jack, Davy and Sarah, wincing every time she hit an open cut. Most of Jack's boys came up and congratulated me. Cheat was laying behind us, still knocked out in the ring, and late afternoon crowds milled about. Sarah was married now, with her and her husband, Theodore's first child on the way. Her and Jack had parted ways a year after the strike. Figured they'd be better off as friends. And they were. Best friends, practically inseperable. I was guessing Jack's reasoning was that he just wasn't up for commitment yet. I ate dinner in Manhattan with Sarah and her husband. I figured I should stay since it was a celebratory dinner in my honor, with most of the newsies and some of Sarah and Theodore's work friends in attendance. I observed the two of them, Teddy and Sarah. They were good together. As great of a friend as Jack was, I was glad he had chosen to go down the 'friends' path with Sarah. Teddy treated her differently, more gently than Jack had or ever would have. Especially in her delicate condition. I left just as the sun was setting and began to make my way back home.

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I woke early the next morning and jogged around Brooklyn, checking to make sure all was well. By the time I had gotten back last night, Trousers was already fast asleep, so I hadn't had the chance to tell her my good news. I walked to the distribution center and bought fifty papers. I didn't feel like selling very much today. I sold as I walked through the rain to the docks, not feeling like staying put, even in this weather. Once I had sold every last paper, I talked to Doubt and Slingshot at the mouth of the docks. They were both so proud of me for winning the fight.

"Eh, it was no big deal. I gotta keep my borough mine somehow, don't I? An' Cheat had it comin' fah a long time too." I said gruffly. They shrugged and walked away. I spotted Trousers at the end, crouched down and talking to someone in the water. She got pulled in and came back out a minute later, looking panicked. I sighed. Someone should have informed that newsie that she didn't remember how to swim. I began jogging toward her, calling her name a few times before she noticed me and began running towards me as well. We met fairly close to the middle, where she slipped on a puddle and nearly collapsed into me. I caught her by the shoulders and steadied her. "Guess what, Trous?! I won! Remembah how I toldja I had dat rematch against Cheat yestahday?" She nodded. "Well I won! I beat him an' now we don't gotta worry 'bout him comin' back!"

"Dat's great! I bet it was a good fight, too." She smiled and hugged me, the rain beating down on us.

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><p>Well, at least the rain couldn't get me any wetter anymore. People really needed to learn that I couldn't swim. I was tired of always having to explain that to people. I heard someomen calling my name so I turned around. <em>Uh-oh. I betcha he knows dat I was dere yestahday so's now Ise in trouble.<em> I ran towards Spot, thinking that I was, but when he caught me after I fell, he had a giant smile on his face. He told me about his epic victory all in one long breath. I nodded here and there to show that I was listening.

"Dat's great! I bet it was a good fight, too." I hugged him, knowing full well what happened during the fight. He picked me up and spun me around, right in the middle of the newsies and the pouring rain. _Whoa. Dat was new. _

Upon setting me down, he crushed his lips against mine.

A life time of memories came rushing back. Scenes played into my mind, sad, happy and everything in between.

The kiss ended and Spot stepped back, wide-eyed.

"Please don't be mad at me." His face was filled with shock. "I-I don't know what I was doin'. I just- I'm sorry."

"Spot." He kept going with his explanation on how he forgot and that he was just caught in the moment. "Spot." He kept going, and I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed his face in my hands and kissed him. "I'm back."

"No, I know ya back. Why'd you just-?"

"No, Spot. Look at me." I stepped away from him. "I'm back. Back fah good."

"So- so ya remembah ev'rythin'?"

"Yes, Spot. I remembah ev'rythin'." I whispered, stepping close and kissing him again. This was met with a bunch of wolf-whistles, cheering and clapping. Apparently, they'd overheard everything.

Nosy newsies.

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><p><strong><em>I read online that amnesia can sometimes be reversed by something familiar to the victim. And then, I got the-if I do say so myself-most brilliant scenario for Trousers' cure. I rewrote it quite a few times, until I got this scene, and voila! There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! Trousers is back!<em>**


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